


Anna Poppins

by Jekkah



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Angst, F/M, Family, Gen, Humor, Minor Character Death, Romance, Sexual Content, descriptions of rape
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-08
Updated: 2014-02-16
Packaged: 2017-12-28 19:10:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 134,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/995488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jekkah/pseuds/Jekkah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hotch hires an old friend as a new nanny for Jack, who has an interesting affect on the team. JJ/Hotch slow build romance and Morgan/OC not a strong focus. AU after 5X13 - Risky Business.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Of Introductions and Picnics

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing with Criminal Minds except for my dvds. I don't own Monsters Inc, SyFy (or their "Mega" movies, though I highly recommend them), "Ring Around the Rosie", or "Itsy Bitsy Spider."
> 
> Author's Note: AU after 5X13 – Risky Business. Takes place a few months after, but I want to ignore everything after Risky Business.

"Hey, who's Hotch talking to?" Morgan asked, walking up to Garcia and Reid in the middle of the BAU office. They were sitting against Reid's desk spying through the window of Hotch's office.

"No idea," Reid admitted, startled by Morgan's appearance.

"Whoever she is, she's actually making him smile," Garcia added.

Prentiss dropped her bag at her desk, causing all three of them to jump. "What's going on?"

"We're spying on Dad," Garcia answered, nodding to Hotch's office.

"Who's in there?"

"We're not sure," Morgan said. He moved to stand beside Garcia.

"She has beautiful hair," Prentiss commented, admiring the mane of red, curly hair on the woman's head.

"Who has beautiful hair?" JJ asked, walking up to them with a stack of folders in her arms. Now, all four of them jumped.

"The woman in Hotch's office," Morgan told her.

"Oh! That's Jack's new nanny," JJ explained, chuckling at the four of them. "Her name is Anna. She's very nice."

"Nice, huh? That's like the kiss of death."

"I thought Haley's sister was watching Jack?" Prentiss said.

"She got a promotion that was 'too good to pass up' and moved away," JJ replied, trying to control her eye-rolling. She knew that Jessica had every right to live her own life, but part of her couldn't understand why she had promised to help Hotch out only to leave him in the lurch a few months later.

"So, Hotch went and got himself a nanny," Morgan grinned. "My man!"

"He really seems to like her," Prentiss commented.

"She is really making him smile," Reid added.

JJ laughed, placing the folders in her hands on each of their desks. "For profilers, you sure are unobservant."

"What do you mean?" Reid asked. They all turned to look at JJ, all but Garcia had a look of perplexation on their faces. Garcia just looked amused.

"That is Hotch's 'Jack' smile,'" JJ explained. "She brought Jack by to see Hotch before we leave."

"Ice cream!" Jack shouted, throwing the door open and running out. His golden brown hair bouncing as he ran towards the stairs. "Ice cream! Ice cream! Ice cream!"

"Whoa, Jack!" Anna shouted, chasing after him. She caught up to him right before he reached the stairs and tossed him in the air. Anna whispered in Jack's ear, "Say 'good-bye' to Daddy."

"Good-bye, Daddy," Jack repeated. "I love you."

"I love you, too, buddy," Hotch replied, taking Jack from Anna and hugging him, tightly.

Anna turned and did a double-take at seeing nearly the entire BAU team staring at her, not bothering to hide their curiosity.

"Um, hi," Anna said to them, her cheeks blushing slightly. She ran her hand nervously through her hair.

"Here, let me introduce you to my team," Hotch offered. "This is Dr. Spencer Reid, Agent Emily Prentiss, Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia, Agent Derek Morgan, and, of course, you know JJ."

"It's good to see you again," JJ told her with a smile.

"You, too," Anna replied, flashing a bright smile, her deep blue eyes sparkling. Anna grabbed Jack's hand. "We should get going."

"Good-bye, Jack. I will call you tonight," Hotch called after them. "Okay, team, briefing in five minutes."

JJ rushed to catch up with Hotch as he walked back towards his office. "So, Jack really seems to be liking Anna."

"Yeah, they're like two peas in a pod." Hotch followed her into his office and sat down in his chair. He smirked slightly when JJ perched on his desk. "Sometimes a little too much."

"And the living arrangements? That's working out?"

"It's a little strange having another adult there all the time, but it's worked out nicely when I've gotten called away in the middle of the night." Hotch shifted. "I think the fact that I've known Anna so long is helping to ease the awkwardness. It's been an interesting month."

"She seems pretty easy going. Henry was smitten with her. I think Will was, too." JJ recalled a conversation she had with Will a few days ago after Anna and Jack dropped off some toys for Henry that Jack no longer used. She grinned when she saw Hotch's eyebrows raised. "Henry's going through a shy phase right now. The only people he'll go to are me, Will, Garcia, and Miss Ruby at daycare. So, the fact that he'll go to Anna means a potential baby-sitter."

"I'm sure she'd love to watch Henry anytime. She doesn't really know anyone here so she has a lot of free time."

"Yes, just what every young, single woman wants to do on her time off. You should have a barbeque when this case is over and invited the team." JJ laughed when Hotch raised his eyebrows a second time, both at JJ's change in topic and the topic she switched to. "It'll give Anna a chance to know some people."

"I'll think about it," Hotch agreed. He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms, though his demeanor remained relaxed. "How are things with you and Will?"

"Surprisingly good," JJ sighed. "I think we were always better off as friends. We decided to remain in the same house so that we're not splitting Henry's time. It's good to have another adult to talk to, also. We've been talking a lot more since the pressure of 'making us work' is off. It's actually nice."

"Have you told anyone yet?"

"Oh, God, no! Either they're going to give me weird looks for the arrangement we have or they're going to try to set me up with a million guys. I'm not looking for either one right now."

Hotch shudder slightly, recalling a none too subtle conversation he had with Garcia about dating. He opened his mouth to say more, but paused when there was a knock on the door and Morgan stuck his head inside.

"Uh, guys, we've all been assembled for about ten minutes."

"Coming," JJ said as Hotch said, "On our way."

"So, you'll think about the barbeque?" JJ asked as they left Hotch's office. Hotch sighed, heavily, but nodded his head. "Good."

CMCMCMCMCMCM

"Do you even know how to cook on a grill?" Anna asked, coming out of the townhouse with a bowl of fruit salad in her hands, her ponytail flying out behind her. Jack followed close behind her with a bag of chips.

"I'll have you know that I used to barbeque every weekend when I was a prosecutor," Hotch told her, repressing the urge to stick his tongue out. He frowned slightly trying to figure out what it was about Anna that turned him into a twelve-year-old.

"Why are we doing this again?"

"Because JJ thought it would be a good way for you to meet some people."

"Right. 'JJ thought...'" Anna let her voice trail off, but she flashed Hotch a mischievous grin that he chose to ignore.

"Anna, spin me!" Jack begged. Anna grabbed his hands and let him away from the grill and tables. She held him under his arms and spun in a circle while they both laughed. Anna gently collapsed them both to the ground.

"Sp-in! Sp-in!" Henry called out from his mother's arms as they entered the Hotchner backyard. JJ put Henry down and he toddled to Anna.

"Miss JJ!" Jack shouted, running to hug her. He had developed a little crush on JJ over the few months as she and Henry became more of a presence in his life.

"Hi, my Jack." JJ kissed his forehead, causing him to giggle. "Are you having fun with Anna?"

"Yeah. We're spinning! Look, Henry's spinning, too."

"Why don't you make sure he knows how to do it right?"

Jack squirmed to the ground and ran off. "Okay!"

"No Will?" Hotch asked JJ as she came to stand beside him. He glanced sideways at her, taking in her casual attire. Her hair was in a half-ponytail and her eyes were dancing.

"He had to work, though, honestly, I think he may have asked for this shift so we didn't have to explain anything." JJ absently handed Hotch the plate of raw burgers while keeping an eye on Henry.

"Hey, baby cakes!" Garcia said, hugging JJ as she, Kevin, and Reid arrived in the backyard. She signaled to Kevin to put the containers he was carrying on the picnic table. "Where's my little guy?"

"Being absolutely mesmerized by Hotch's new nanny," JJ replied, pointing to Anna and the two boys. Anna was leading them in a round of 'Ring Around the Rosie.'

"He's not the only one," Hotch chuckled, nodding his head at Reid, who was standing nearby with his mouth slightly open.

"See something you like there, Spence?" JJ teased, taking the platter of cookies from his hands and placing them on the table.

"Uh, yes. Uh, no," Reid stuttered, looking between JJ and Anna. "She just, uh, looks familiar."

"Who looks familiar?" Reid turned to see Morgan standing behind him.

"Apparently, Anna does," JJ answered, taking the potato salad from Morgan and putting it with the rest of the food.

"It's the hair," Anna told them, walking up the group. She had Henry on her hip while holding Jack's hand. "All red heads look alike."

Anna and Hotch burst into laughter when they all stared at her, trying to determine her level of seriousness. Garcia, Reid, and Morgan exchanged glances. Their boss was not one to laugh readily.

"Well, well. Anna and Aaron are laughing while everyone else stands around looking bewildered," Rossi said, also joining the group. "Let me guess: the red head joke?"

"It's a classic," Anna countered with a saucy grin. She kissed Rossi on the cheek. "How are you, Dave?"

"Can't complain. Sorry I haven't gotten around to seeing you before this."

Anna waved him off. "It's okay. I know you're a big, bad profiler and I'm just the lowly help."

"Funny. I forgot how funny you think you are."

"Hey, where's Emily?" JJ asked, glancing around.

"Right here," Prentiss replied, walking up behind her. "Sorry, I'm late. My mother called as I was walking out the door."

"How'd that go?"

"Anna, can we play football?" Jack asked, tugging on her hand.

Anna handed Henry to Garcia. "You got it, HJ."

Jack giggled at the nickname as he ran off to grab a football. Anna turned back to the group. "Who's in? You? You? Come on, Dr. Spencer Reid."

Reid shrugged and followed Anna. Prentiss and Morgan glanced at each other before joining Reid, Anna, and Jack. Garcia bounced Henry up and down on her knees, cheering for both teams. It wasn't long before Anna and Jack pulled Kevin and Rossi into the game, lining Anna, Jack, Prentiss, and Reid up against Morgan, Rossi, and Kevin.

"What?" Hotch asked, realizing JJ was staring at him.

She blushed slightly at being caught. "You laughed."

"I'm sorry?" Hotch tilted his head in confusion.

"You and Anna with that joke, you laughed. I just haven't heard it in a long time."

Hotch half-shrugged, looking embarrassed. "She turns me into a child again. It's like I'm suddenly twelve and she's my bratty little sister."

"Hey! It's touch football, not tackle!" Prentiss yelled, drawing Hotch and JJ's attention. Anna was helping Reid up from the ground, where Morgan had tackled him.

"I'm sorry! I tripped," Morgan apologized, unconvincingly. They lined up again, Morgan taking quarterback. Anna darted forward, slamming Morgan to the ground. She got up, chuckling.

"Sorry, I tripped." Anna offered her hand to Morgan as he got up. He picked her up, threw her over his shoulder, and spun her around. Their laughter filled the air.

"She's a bit of a spitfire," JJ muttered to Hotch. Hotch rolled his eyes in agreement. Jack jumped up and down in front Morgan, wanting to be spun next.

"Burgers are done!" Hotch called out. He passed the plate the JJ, briefly brushing her fingers. He shivered at the contact and wondered curiously about that response. He never had that reaction to a simple touch from JJ. In fact, he hadn't had that reaction from anyone since he and Haley were first married.

"Hotch?"

He glanced down to see JJ staring at him with a concerned look on her face. Her blue eyes were sparkling in the sunlight. Had they ever been that blue before? Hotch shook his head to clear his thoughts. He would examine this later when she wasn't standing so close to him with her soft skin and plump lips and...

"Sorry!" Hotch spat out. "I guess I just got lost in thought."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." He looked up to see Anna standing near the table with Jack. She grinned and winked him. Hotch rolled his eyes again, but this time in annoyance.

"Anna, your phone's ringing," Jack told her, picking her phone up from the picnic table. Anna glanced at it, before hitting ignore and pocketing it. She ignored the concerned and curious looks.

"What do you want on your hamburger, Jack?" Hotch asked.

The group made small talk while they ate. Jack insisted on sitting between Hotch and JJ while Henry happily remained on Garcia's lap, ignoring the talk between Kevin and Garcia. He monopolized JJ's conversation with stories of his neighborhood friends. Hotch, Rossi, Morgan, and Prentiss were discussing Rossi's latest publicist and debating the likelihood that she was to become wife number four. Anna listened intently while Reid rambled on about the latest books he had read.

Anna noticed the mood of the table changed from relaxed to inquisitive as the meals finished up. She pursed her lips, half in annoyance and half in amusement, as she saw a look skip from Morgan to Prentiss to Garcia to Reid. She braced herself for what was coming next.

"So, where are you from?" Morgan asked her.

"Have you always been a nanny?" Garcia added.

"How do you know Hotch?" Reid questioned.

Prentiss leaned forward on the table. "Got any embarrassing stories to tell us about him?"

"What's your story?" Morgan pried.

Anna breathed loudly to stop them, her eyes growing big. "Wow. That is a lot of questions coming at me all at once."

"Yes, it is, and you are under no obligation to answer any of them." Hotch glared at his team as he, Rossi, and JJ joined the conversation.

"It's okay," Anna told him with a smile, trying to quell his over-protectiveness. She absently pulled her phone from her pocket as it rang again, chose ignore, and placed it back into her pocket. "I, uh, was a witness in a case about... twelve years back. Hotch and I became friends after that. This is my first nanny job, but I've always loved kids. I have a few nieces and nephews. And, no, sadly, I do not have any embarrassing Hotch stories. Anything else, you're just going to have to earn."

Anna stood from the table. "I'm going to grab dessert from the fridge. Jack, why don't you come help me?"

Jack jumped up eagerly as Henry called out, "I help! I help!"

"Okay, little man. You can help." Anna picked Henry up from Garcia and hurried the two boys into the house.

"I'm going to tell you this once," Hotch growled, bringing focus of the entire team to him, "do not go digging into her past. She is my friend and that is all you need to know."

Reid, Garcia, Morgan, and Prentiss muttered apologies while JJ and Rossi shared a look. Morgan got up from the table and followed Anna into the kitchen. He found Henry and Jack sitting on the counter while Anna sang "Itsy Bitsy Spider" complete with dance moves. He leaned against the other end of the counter, waiting for her to finish. Morgan clapped along with Jack and Henry when she was finished.

"Didn't your mother teach you it wasn't impolite to sneak up on people?" Anna teased, her hand on her hip.

"No, no!" Henry told Morgan, also putting his hand on his hip.

Morgan threw his hands up in peace. "Sorry, but, man, girl, you have some moves. You are going to have to come out to the club with me and Emily."

"I'll pencil that in." Anna helped Jack and Henry down. "HJ, can you do me a big favor and take Henry out to Miss JJ? I'll bring the cake out in just a minute."

"Sure." Jack took Henry's hand led him outside.

Morgan raised an eyebrow. "HJ?"

"Hotch, Jr. It fits."

"I came to apologize. We shouldn't have ambushed you like that."

Anna smiled at him. "Hotch lay a smack down on you?"

"Something like that," Morgan chuckled.

"It's okay." Anna pulled the cake from the refrigerator. "You're a team of FBI profilers. And you're very protective of your boss right now. I didn't expect anything less."

"True, but we could have done it better."

"Look, the only thing you need to know is this: Hotch knows all my secrets." Anna jumped slightly as her phone vibrated again. She handed the cake to Morgan. "Can you take this outside for me, please?"

"Sure thing."

Anna waited until Morgan left through the door to look at her phone. She hit ignore again only to have the phone vibrate once more. She threw the phone, groaning as it sailed into the living room and bounced off the couch.

"I'm guessing you really didn't want to take that phone call," Reid said, walking up behind her.

"It's nothing, just someone who doesn't know when to stop calling." Anna waved it off. She linked her arm through his, leading him outside. "So, tell me, Dr. Spencer Reid, are you a fan of the SyFy 'Mega' movies?"

"The what?"

Hotch and JJ stood in the kitchen several hours later after everyone had gone home. They were packing up the leftover food and chatting about their kids, the picnic, Anna's adjustment, and occasionally work. JJ was in the midst of explaining Henry's new obsession with fire trucks when Anna walked back into the room. She had changed from the casual ware of earlier to jeans and a sleeveless black shirt with a plunging neckline.

"Both boys are down. They're curled up in my bed; fell asleep after five minutes of Monsters, Inc. I doubt they'll wake when you move them," Anna told them, shaking her red curls with hands.

"Thanks, Anna." JJ smiled at her.

Hotch frowned as he critically eyed Anna's outfit. "What's with the clothes?"

"I'm meeting some friends. I don't know why you think I don't have friends, Hotch." Anna's tone held a hint of amusement.

"Maybe because you spend all of your time with a four-year-old?"

"I spend all my time with a four-year-old because the four-year-old has had a lot of changes lately and needs some consistency." Anna smirked at him. "Besides, he's more fun than most adults."

"Hard to argue with that," JJ muttered.

"Thank you. JJ, any time you or Will needs a baby-sitter, Jack and I will be happy to help out. Jack really loves being protective. Wonder where he got that from?" Anna and JJ shared a delighted look. "Anyway, I'm out of here."

"Don't-" Hotch started.

"I won't be late. I'll be sure to reset the alarm and double-check the locks." Anna turned with a wave. "I'm going to be late picking up Spencer. That guy needs some friends."

Hotch turned towards JJ, who was grinning at him. "What?"

"She so has your number." JJ put the last of the food away. "I guess I should be getting Henry home. It's getting late."

"Uh, yeah." Hotch searched his brain trying to come up with a reason for her not to go, but nothing sounded plausible. "Let me help you out."

Hotch secured Henry in his car seat before turning to JJ. Anna had been correct when she said Henry wouldn't wake up. "Thanks for coming, JJ. And for helping to clean up. And for setting this up in the first place."

"You're welcome." She placed her hand on his arm and he felt that same electricity that he had earlier in the day when their fingers touched. Again, Hotch marveled at that reaction. "I think your first BAU barbeque was a success."

"First?" Hotch repeated, slightly alarmed. JJ just chuckled as she got into the car. He could see her laughing as she rounded the corner and disappeared from sight. Hotch sighed as he entered the alarm code. He could still feel JJ's hand on his arm.

He had always liked JJ, respected her. He knew they had a slightly closer relationship than he had with the members of the team other than Dave and Gideon. That came strictly from the hours working alone trudging through case after the rest of the team had gone home. It was hard not to form some sort of bond. It was hard not to notice she was beautiful either. He noticed the beauty in Prentiss and Garcia, too, though the latter was a bit unconventional. Still, JJ was definitely his type and he knew that, too. But he never saw her, never allowed himself to see her, as anything other than a colleague, a subordinate, a friend. At least, he hadn't until that touch this afternoon.

Closing his eyes as he lay in bed, his overactive mind wouldn't release the image of JJ as she stood next to him: the sun beating down on her, bringing out the shimmer of her blond hair, enhancing the twinkle in her eyes. He saw the way her lips pulled down slightly while she worried about him and was startled to find he wondered what it would be like to kiss the frown away. His thoughts latched onto that as he drifted off to sleep, imagining running his fingers over her arms, her neck, her face. He would worry about what it all meant tomorrow. Tonight, he was going to dream.


	2. Or Work Nights and Zoos

"Thanks for doing this again," Will said, standing with Anna on the porch of Hotch's house. He had just dropped Henry off for the evening. "We're really close to ending this case and everyone's being called to work overtime."

"It's not a problem," Anna assured him, bouncing Henry on her hip. She lovingly ruffled Jack's hair. "We love having Henry here. Right, Jack?"

"Yep-yep!" He danced around on one leg. "Can we watch Toy Story? Please?"

"Sure. Why don't you go get it out for me?" Anna and Will laughed as Jack eagerly skipped off to the living room.

"Well, JJ knows to pick him up here. I didn't want her to have to cancel her night with the girls. She shouldn't be too late, though."

"Really, Will, it's fine. Jack and I were just hanging out. We're taking a break from the pool. My skin's getting a bit too red." Anna placed her hand on his upper arm. "How'd the date with Sheila go?"

"Good." Will blushed slightly. In the two months since Anna had dropped off toys for Henry, she had become a bit of confidant for him. He had few friends here in Virginia and he worked with nearly all of them. He shuddered to think what the boys at the precinct would say if they learned about his and JJ's arrangement. Anna was one of the few people who knew the situation and by default became someone Will could talk to. "I think we might go out again next week."

"Sweet!"

Will ducked his head. "I should go."

"Go. Catch the bad guy. Say, 'bye, Henry."

"Bye-bye," Henry said, obediently. He sucked on his thumb while he waved good-bye.

Will chuckled, turning to leave the porch and running into Hotch. "Hello, Agent Hotchner."

"Just Hotch, please," Hotch insisted, shaking his hand. "How are you?"

"Can't complain. I'll, uh, see you all later." Will hurriedly walked to the car.

"You intimidate him," Anna told Hotch, following him into the house.

"I do?" Hotch looked at the small child in Anna's arms. "Hiya, Henry."

"Hi, Motch," Henry replied, his version of "Mr. Hotch." Henry squirmed until Anna put him down. He toddled off to find Jack.

Hotch draped his suit jacket over the couch and put his briefcase on the coffee table. He pulled at his tie, lost in thought. "I don't know why he'd be intimidated by me."

"O-kay," Anna giggled. "Hey, why are you home so early, anyway?"

"JJ and I have to review some cases and she felt bad about you watching Henry so we decided to just do it here where we could keep an eye on both boys."

"I thought she was having a girls' night with Emily and Penelope?" Anna dashed suddenly to the other side of the room, grabbing Henry. "No, stairs, Henry! Jack! Where did you go?"

"She didn't mention anything to me."

Anna looked over at Hotch, who's face was scrunched in thought. "Uh-huh."

"The movie was in Daddy's room," Jack explained, coming down the stairs. His face lit up when he saw Hotch. "Daddy!"

"Hey, buddy!" Hotch hugged him tightly as Anna went to open the door.

"Hey, Anna. Hi, Monkey!" JJ exclaimed as Anna let her inside. Henry leapt from Anna's arms into JJ's with an excited. "Momma!"

"Miss JJ!" Jack flung himself onto her legs. JJ leaned over and kissed the top of his head.

"Thanks for keeping an eye on Henry. I promise we'll be out of your hair shortly," JJ told Anna.

"Henry only just got here. It's not a problem. Now, let me get the boys out of your hair and you guys can get to work." Anna took Henry back from JJ and grabbed Jack's hand.

"But we're supposed to watch a movie!" Jack protested.

"We can watch it my room."

Jack happily agreed to go. He wasn't often allowed into Anna's room. Hotch and JJ sat down on the couch, sprawling case files out on the coffee table.

"Sorry about all the chaos," Hotch apologized. He was sitting with his knee just a few inches from JJ's.

"Chaos? This is a normal day for us," JJ joked. She reached down and grabbed the first file. They reviewed files for nearly thirty minutes with multiple interruptions from Jack, who wanted a drink, then a snack, then his dump truck. They had only managed to get through one file thus far.

Hotch sighed in frustration as the door rang just as they got Jack back upstairs for the fourth time. JJ chuckled at him, placing a hand on his knee to calm him. Hotch found himself staring at her hand, feeling a tingle from the heat. He hadn't felt that way since she touched him at the picnic over a month ago.

"I got it!" Anna exclaimed, rushing from her room and down the stairs. She flung the door open to see Reid standing on the other side. "Dr. Spencer Reid!"

"Hi," he replied with a half-grin. He held up a stack of books. "I brought those books for you."

"Sweet! Come in. Let me grab you the ones I finished." Anna ushered him inside.

He glanced around the living room. "Hi, JJ. Hi, Hotch."

Hotch and JJ gave their hellos before glancing at each other.

Anna stopped halfway across the room and turned back towards Reid. "How would you like to go with the boys and me for pizza?"

"Sure," Reid shrugged. Anna playfully ruffled his hair as she had done to Jack earlier. She looked at Hotch and JJ. "Hey, I'm taking your kids out for pizza. There's leftover lasagna for you in the fridge."

Hotch and JJ glanced at each other again, smirks on both their faces. They abandoned their paperwork to focus on Reid, who was beaming, sheepishly.

"What was that all about, Spence?" JJ asked him.

"She, uh, calls me her 'little brother,'" Reid told her, his blush growing more pronounced. "She's been taking me out with her friends; told me I needed to experience life outside of academia."

"She's not wrong."

"Uncle Spencer!" Jack shouted, running down the stairs. "Anna said we're going to get pizza!"

"We are!" Reid agreed, enthusiastically.

"Uncle Spencer?" JJ whispered to Hotch, who shook his head saying, "That's a new one to me."

"We'll be back in a couple of hours. Don't spend your whole time working, kids," Anna said, hurrying Reid, Jack, and Henry out the door.

"Hey, do you need Henry's car seat?" JJ called out.

Anna stuck her head back into the door. "Nope. I keep one in my car for him."

"How much time does he spend with you?" JJ asked, perplexed, trying to remember if Will had mentioned needing a baby-sitter more often lately.

"She probably bought it the first time you guys asked her to baby-sit," Hotch told her.

Anna shrugged, sheepishly. "Henry's only been here a couple of times and it wasn't for long. See ya!"

"What's with the looks?" JJ asked Hotch when the door closed behind Anna.

"What looks?"

"You scowled when Reid said Anna calls him her 'little brother' and when Jack called him 'Uncle Spencer.' It was just a little one and you covered it, but I saw it."

"You sure you don't want to be a profiler?" Hotch sighed when JJ just looked at him, patiently waiting for an answer. "Anna is... a fixer."

"What does that mean?"

"She sees a problem, real or imaginary, and she wants to solve that. Henry could come over at some point so she buys a car seat. She thinks Reid doesn't have any family so she makes him her little brother and he becomes Uncle Spencer."

"That doesn't sound so bad." JJ hit him playfully with her shoulder.

"Until it's your life she's interfering with."

She stilled. "Good point."

"And she does it most when she's avoiding something in her own life."

"Are you sure she's not your sister?"

Hotch chuckled. "Come on. Let's get through a few more of these cases and take a break to eat. Anna orders a mean lasagna from Donatelli's."

JJ sat back on the couch, taking a sip of wine as she contemplated Hotch's question. Was she still sure that her break-up with Will was the right thing? JJ toed her shoes off and brought one leg onto the couch. She stared at Hotch's chest, lost in thought.

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," Hotch said, misunderstanding her delay tactic. He wasn't sure just what had possessed him to ask her the question. Maybe it was the half a glass of wine that he had drunken or the relaxed, joyful dinner they had just finished or that he was simply having an adult conversation that didn't involve work or Anna. Or maybe it was the small voice in the back of his head demanding analysis over his body's reactions to JJ's touches.

"You're not!" JJ reassured him, quickly. "I'm just trying to figure out how to answer that and still come off as a good mom."

Hotch looked at her for a beat before they both burst out laughing.

"Seriously, though, I liked Will. I even loved him, but if I hadn't gotten pregnant, I would have let our relationship fizzle out at some point. I wouldn't have let him move up here if not for Henry and I sure as hell wouldn't move to Louisiana." JJ groaned. "That really makes me sound like a bitch."

"No, it makes you sound honest."

"I regret that, at some point, Henry is going to have to split his time between two houses. I regret that Will gave up his life in New Orleans that he loved for a life in Virginia that he's okay with. I regret that it feels at times that we could have spent the last three years happy instead of trying to be happy, but I do not regret ending things with Will."

Silence descended over them as they were each lost in thought.

"Will started dating someone," JJ said, softly, after a few minutes of quiet. "He met her at a coffee shop. It was only one date, but he's... lighter somehow since he went on it."

"And you're jealous."

"If I'm not working, I'm spending all my time with Henry. I guess I just wish I had the time to get a chance at that same happiness."

Hotch opened his mouth to say more, but was interrupted.

"Daddy!" Jack shouted, flinging the front door open. He caused both adults to jump. "Guess what?"

"You guys are back early," Hotch said to Anna as she walked into the house. She carried Henry in her arms. His head was resting sleepily on her shoulder.

Anna gave him a funny look. "We've been gone almost three hours."

"Really?" JJ said, surprised.

"Did you get your work done?"

"We did," Hotch told her. He looked at Jack, who was dancing on one foot in front of him. "What is it, Jack?"

"Anna got us tickets to the zoo tomorrow!"

"The zoo's free," Hotch countered to Anna.

Anna handed Henry off to JJ. "True, but the tickets I got are for a special behind the scenes tour. I have a friend who works there."

"Of course."

"You never think I have any friends," Anna sighed. She reached into her pocket and hand him a stack of tickets.

"There's four tickets here. Is your 'friend' going along with us?"

"Oh, I'm not going. I've got plans with Spencer. Those are for you, JJ, and the boys." Anna grinned to herself as she breezed into the kitchen.

"Can we go, Daddy? Can we?" Jack begged. "Henry wants to go. Right, Henry?"

"Go. Go," Henry agreed, snuggling against his mom.

"Please?" Jack turned his attention to JJ when he saw his father stalling. "Miss JJ, you want to go, don't you?"

JJ looked at Hotch, who had a strained expression on his face. She fought the urge to laugh at his seriousness over facing plans he didn't make. She suspected Anna did that to him a lot to knock him off his game. "We don't have any plans and going behind the cages seems fun."

"Great. It's all set. Hotch will pick you guys up at 8:30," Anna said, walking back into the living room.

Hotch sighed, but didn't protest. "I guess I'll pick you up at 8:30."

"Come on, HJ. Time to take a bath. Say good night to your JJ." Anna waited for Jack to say good-bye to JJ and Henry before grabbing his hand to lead him upstairs. "Oh, before I forget: I got a new phone and number. I'm keeping the old one, too, but only for emergencies."

"What was that all about?" JJ asked Hotch after Anna and Jack went upstairs. She gathered files with one hand, using the other to keep Henry on her lap.

"I'm not exactly sure." Hotch stood up and folded his arms. "You know, I don't want you to feel obligated to go just because Anna forced your hand."

"She didn't," JJ assured him, a bit confused by his reaction. "We'd love to go. We love spending time with you and Jack. Plus, this sounds like tons of fun."

Hotch grinned, a slight blush tinting his cheeks. "Okay, then. Jack and I will pick you up at 8:30 sharp."

"Good. Now, I should get this little guy to bed. He's got a big day ahead of him."

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"Daddy, do we have to go?" Jack whined as he, Hotch, JJ, and Henry made their way from the zoo to the parking lot.

"No go!" Henry agreed from his stroller. "Motch! No go!"

"See, Henry doesn't want to go."

JJ and Hotch exchanged amused glances before Hotch said, "I know, buddy, but we've been at the zoo for most of the day. We have seen everything that there is to see. We even got to see things that most people don't get to see."

"How would you like to go get Chinese for dinner?" JJ asked Jack to distract his next round of protests.

"Can we? Can we? Can we?" Jack hopped around.

"I can't believe you're using my son to feed your Chinese food addiction," Hotch muttered to JJ, who shrugged, delightedly. "Sure, Jack, we can go."

Hotch was quiet in the car ride from the restaurant, but no one seemed to notice. JJ was busy listening to Jack retell the adventures of the day with occasional help from Henry. Hotch was free to get lost in his thoughts and his thoughts were resting squarely on JJ. He found himself standing closer to her today than he normally would, noticing the shine of her hair, her eyes, her smile as he had done at the barbeque. She had brushed up against him a few times and it caused his whole body to shiver each time.

They had been mistaken for a family several times, though neither had bothered to correct the assumption. Hotch supposed it was because there really wasn't any point; they weren't going to see any of those people again. At least, that was what he assumed was JJ's reasoning. He found himself buying into the fantasy as the day went on. He imagined what it was like if they were married and had taken their sons to the zoo for the day. They would go out to dinner much as they had this evening, then home to put the kids in bed. Afterward, they claim to be exhausted, but would fall into bed with giggles and kisses that would soon become moans and strokes.

Hotch shifted uncomfortably when his body began to react to the fantasy in his head.

Wow. He really was attracted to her. Hotch gasped aloud slightly. He glanced at JJ, but it appeared to have gone unnoticed. That simply wouldn't do. She was a member of his team. It was inappropriate. She was his friend. He didn't have very many. She was Jack's JJ. One of the few people Jack depended upon. He had to push that attraction down before anyone noticed. Well, anyone other than Anna. It was clear that she realized his attraction for the blond sitting next to him long before he did. Hotch could only hope that she hadn't shared her thoughts with anyone else.

"Hotch? Hotch?"

Hotch looked over to see JJ staring at him, an amused look on her face. "Huh?"

"We've been sitting in my driveway for the last few minutes and you haven't said a word."

"Oh! Sorry."

JJ chuckled. "That must be one heck of a daydream you have running in your head."

"Just lost in thought," Hotch responded. He could feel the heat rising to his cheeks.

"Well, we had a great time. Right, Henry?"

"Right!" he agreed, though he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Please thank Anna for the tickets again."

"Of course," Hotch assured her. "We had a great time, too."

"Miss JJ, do you have to go?" Jack whined.

"Sadly, we do, my Jack. It's almost Henry's bedtime. But I'll tell you what, we will plan something real soon." JJ turned to Hotch, lowering her voice so Jack couldn't hear her. "There's a children's festival that I was planning on taking Henry to next Saturday if we don't have to work. Would you and Jack like to come?"

"Sure. It sounds like fun." Hotch felt warring emotions: happiness over spending more outside time with JJ, misery at being tested to remain only her friend, and determination to make that happen.

"Cool." JJ hopped out of the car. She gathered Henry and his stuff.

"Mama, Motch," Henry said, pointing to Hotch. Hotch rolled down the window after seeing Henry point. Henry leaned down and gave Hotch a sloppy kiss on the cheek. "Bye-bye, Motch."

"Bye-bye, Henry." Hotch waited until they were safely in the house before driving away. Jack fell asleep on the way home. Hotch made his way slowly to the door, juggling Jack and his souvenirs. He opened the door to the sound of Morgan shouting in bemused disgust, "This is so cheesy!"

Hotch walked into the living room with an eyebrow raised. Morgan and Prentiss were sitting on the couch with Reid and Anna on the floor in front of them. They were watching what appeared to be giant fish attacking buildings on the television.

"How many times do we have to go over this, Derek?" Anna said, defensively. "It's not cheesy. It's craptastic."

"Oh, it's crap, all right," Prentiss muttered, causing Morgan to chuckle and Anna to roll her eyes. Reid looked torn between the two. Hotch cleared his throat to get there attention. He pursed his lips to hide the smile at Morgan, Prentiss, and Reid's frozen reactions.

"Hey, Hotch," they muttered.

"How was the zoo?" Anna asked.

"It was tons of fun. Thank you for the tickets." Hotch moved towards the stairs.

"Do you need some help putting him to bed?"

"I think I got it." Hotch smirked at her. "Go back to enjoying your mutant fish."

When he returned nearly fifteen minutes later, he found Anna alone in the living room. She was cleaning up glasses and plates while keeping one eye on the television. Hotch flopped down on the now vacated couch.

"I didn't mean to run everyone off," He told her.

"I know," Anna looked at him with a glean in her eye, "but you enjoy that power all the same."

Hotch grinned. "Maybe a little. So, how exactly did Morgan and Prentiss end up here?"

"Spencer needed a ride so he asked Emily because he thought she'd enjoy the movies and Derek was dropping off papers when he decided to join us."

"He likes you, you know." He continued when she gave him a skeptical look, "What? I know things."

Anna shrugged. "So, how was the zoo? Really?"

"It was fun. I don't think there's an inch of that zoo we didn't visit. Oh, Jack has a present for you. He and Henry picked it out." Hotch leaned his head against the back of the couch. "The four of us might go to a children's festival next weekend."

Anna studied him for a bit before slowly asking, "Did someone happen today?"

"What?" Hotch lifted his head up, suddenly. "No. I told you: we had a nice time. I'm glad JJ and I can be friends outside of work."

"Yeah, it's good that you have friends with kids." Anna moved towards the kitchen. "I'm going to put these in the dishwasher."

Hotch watched her leave before laying his head back down. He was perplexed by Anna's sudden quietness, but was too whipped to worry about it. Any energy he had left was going to keeping his mind off of JJ.

He just wasn't sure how to go about doing that.


	3. Of Tough Cases and BAU Widows

"Don't eat the bubbles, Henry!" Will called out from Hotch's back porch where he and Anna were sitting, waiting for Garcia.

Anna chuckled. "But they look delicious, Dad."

"You gonna call poison control later?"

"Who's calling poison control?" Garcia asked, walking up to them.

Will grinned. "Your godson apparently prefers eating bubbles to blowing them."

"Oh, sweetie, when he does something like that, he's Reid's godson," Garcia told him, but there was no humor in her voice.

"Rough case?" Anna asked, taking in Garcia's pale face and tense eyes.

"We got the bad guy. That's the important part." Garcia smiled slightly when Will put a sympathetic hand on her arm.

"Food's in the kitchen; margaritas are in the blender," Anna offered. She and Will were quiet until Garcia returned with a plate of food and a large drink. "No Kevin tonight?"

"No, he has to work."

"Want to talk about it?"

Garcia shook her head. "I just want to hang with the BAU Widows' Club."

The BAU Widows' Club was what Garcia had begun to call their get-togethers while the rest of the team was out of town. The three of them (and often Kevin) as well as Jack and Henry would converge on at either Hotch or Will's house for dinner, a drink or two, and light conversation while Jack and Henry played together. It allowed Garcia the chance to decompress with people who knew what she did, but didn't press for questions. It allowed Will to relax with people who knew his true home situation without judgment. And it allowed Anna the opportunity to be around people who weren't worried about where the next party was going to be., as so many of her "friends" often did.

"How are things with you and Sheila doing?" Garcia asked Will when the silence had gone on a bit too long.

Will's cheeks blushed. "Actually, we're no longer seeing each other. She, uh, found out that I was still living with JJ and she didn't take my explanation seriously."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Has JJ told you about us yet?"

Garcia squirmed, uncomfortably. "No, not really. She just stopped talking about you. It's actually a worse secret than when the two of you started dating."

"JJ always was a very private person."

"She's not the only one." Garcia gave a pointed look to Anna.

"What? All you need to know about me is that I'm fabulous and you already know that," Anna retorted, causing Will and Garcia to laugh.

"Oh, Henry, don't play in the mud!" Will called out, noticing Henry suddenly paying attention to the ground.

"Let him play in the mud. I'll throw both Jack in Henry in a bath before you leave."

"All right. Just don't expect any help."

Anna stuck her tongue at him, but smiled.

"Do you ever think about moving out?" Garcia asked Will.

"Occasionally, and I know it will have to be done some day, but with all the traveling that JJ does, Henry would have to come live with me. That would limit the amount of time they would spend together. He's such a momma's boy."

"Even separated, you are the perfect man."

Will chuckled. "Not hardly. I just want what's best for my boy. That's all I've wanted since I found out JJ was pregnant."

"We just need to find someone who doesn't mind living with you, your ex, and your son," Garcia told him.

"Well, that should be simple," Anna said, dripping with sarcasm. She and Will cracked up.

Garcia caught a glean in her eye. "What about the two of you?"

Will and Anna looked at each other, cringing. They both shuddered in mock disgust.

"Sorry, Penelope," Will apologized, "but that'd be like kissing my sister."

"Exactly," Anna agreed. "It'd be like kissing my sister."

"Oh, you think you're so funny."

"Wait. Does that mean you have a sister?" Garcia asked Anna.

Anna shrugged. "Sort of."

"You are one tough nut to crack, Anna McCrea, but I'm up to the challenge."

"Sure."

"You know, I could just dig into your past and get all the information that way."

"You could, but you won't. You promised Hotch." Anna winked at her.

Garcia sighed at her grumpily, but silently agreed.

"Dr. Spencer Reid," Anna said, answering her phone. She tried to keep her voice light, knowing they had been through a rough time. "Oh, okay. No. No! That sounds like a really good idea. We can another time. Really. Try to enjoy your time. I'll talk to you when you get back. Call if you need anything. Bye."

Anna glanced at Garcia. "Spencer's going spend some time with his mom in Vegas. I guess Hotch got everyone the next few days off."

Garcia nodded, but didn't elaborate. She turned to watch the boys absently. When she finally spoke, her voice was low and raw. "She had a little girl. She was a single mom and she had a little girl."

"Who, Penelope?" Will asked her, his voice also low.

"The last victim. We were too late to save her. That little girl is going to grow up without her mother. Her father hardly ever saw her. He hated her mother and now he's going to be the one in charge of telling her about her mother. What good things is he actually going to tell her? Excuse me."

Will and Anna watched as Garcia rose from her seat, taking her plate with her. They lapsed into silence once again. Henry and Jack had abandoned their bubbles at some point during Garcia's admission. Jack was gently rolling a ball to Henry, trying to get him to catch it. The ball, however, either passed by Henry or hit off his feet to bounce back to Jack. They were both laughing their heads off, though.

"Hotch is a good man," Will said after a bit.

Anna studied him, but Will kept his gaze on the boys. "I like to think so. What brought this up?"

"If something happens to me, I think I'd like Hotch to help raise Henry."

"Why's that?" Garcia asked, returning to the porch. Both Anna and Will jumped, not realizing she was there.

"I don't think there is anything that Hotch wouldn't do for his son. I believe he found feel the same way about Henry." Will paused. "Hotch is a good man. He would only tell Henry good things about me. He would make sure that Henry was proud to have me as a father. He would make Henry his son, completely. There would be no difference between Jack and Henry in his eyes."

"Okay, we have to come up with a happier topic, people," Anna demanded after another few minutes of silence. "Pre-season starts soon! Steelers vs. Lions in just a few weeks!"

"Baseball?" Garcia asked.

"Football," Will corrected. Anna groaned. "Anna is a major Steelers fan. Her and JJ have a bit of a rivalry going."

"Hey, you don't grow up in Pittsburgh without becoming a Steelers fan. It seeps into your pores. Someday, JJ will see the error of her ways," Anna defended.

"So, you grew up in Pittsburgh, eh? Another clue, my red-headed friend," Garcia laughed. Anna shook her head before laughing along with her.

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It had been a rough case for his team, a rough case for him. They had gotten to the last victim minutes too late. Every one of them would spend the next few weeks trying to figure what they could have done differently to save Olivia Ballard, including himself. He knew deep down there wasn't anything they could have done, even as he was mentally beating himself up. The best Hotch could do was convince Strauss to give them a few days off to regroup. Reid, he knew, was going to spend time with his mother; a result of Olivia's daughter clinging to him of all people. JJ would use the time to get in as much bonding with Henry as she could; he would do the same with Jack. Maybe, he would take Jack away for a few days. It would give Anna a few days to herself that she hadn't had in the near four months since she became Jack's nanny. Not that she would ever complain.

Anna. She was hiding something from him, he was sure. He was also sure that it wasn't anything dangerous, at least to anyone beside herself. Hotch thought he was hiding things from her, too, but she had seen through his defenses as she always had. She had picked up on his attraction to JJ before he had. Hotch noticed that she had backed off considerably in that, though, since the zoo visit over a month ago. He wondered what she saw in his face, heard in his voice, that caused her to stop prodding where JJ was concerned. He didn't ask; that wasn't how they worked.

Hotch sighed as he looked at the clock: 1:34. He should have gone with the rest of the team to the bar. At least, he might have been able to drink himself into a stupor and get some sleep. Hotch rolled onto his back and closed his eyes only to see JJ's face staring back at him. He opened them again and stared at the ceiling. She had asked him to go with them to the bar, but he had declined. Hotch was certain he had seen disappointment flash in her eyes before she covered it with understanding. He had made great progress in thinking of her strictly as a friend, a co-worker. At least, he thought he had, but he was certain that being around alcohol and JJ would not help his resolve. Any time his thoughts veered even slightly away from JJ the friend or JJ the media liaison, he was quick to squash them.

If only he could banish her from his dreams.

Hotch sighed again when his phone rang. He answered without looking at the caller ID. "Hotchner."

"Hotch? It's JJ," JJ said on the other line. She sounded slightly distressed though she was trying to hide it.

"Is everything all right?" he demanded, sitting up in bed and pulling on his shoes.

"Everything's fine. We just have a bit of a situation down here at the bar."

"What type of situation?"

"Well, Morgan passed out and everyone else has gone to bed. Do you think you can come down and help me carry him back to his hotel room?"

"I'll be right there." Hotch entered the hotel bar to find the bartender, a single patron at the bar, and JJ sitting with a passed out Morgan in the corner booth.

JJ smiled when she saw Hotch. "Thanks for coming. If you could just help me carry him to his room, that would be great."

"What happened?" Hotch asked, putting one of Morgan's arms on his shoulders and supporting him from underneath.

"We were all drinking kind of heavy, but things really took a bad turn after everyone else called it a night about an hour ago. He started pounding shots until he passed out."

"Are you okay?" Hotch started moving towards the door.

"Yeah, I stopped drinking a few hours once I saw where this night was leading."

Hotch started to say something else, but was stopped by Morgan suddenly popping his head up. Morgan looked around, blearily, before settling on Hotch. "Hey, Hotch. What are you doing here?"

"We're going to take you back to your room." Hotch glanced over at JJ to see her biting her bottom lip to stop from laughing. Morgan's voice was incredibly slurred.

"Oh. Okay." Morgan put his head back on Hotch's shoulder. He was quiet until they laid him in his bed. "I'm a horrible agent."

"That's not true," JJ reassured him, taking his shoes off. "You are an amazing agent."

"I couldn't save them. I couldn't save either of them."

"None of us could. This isn't on you," Hotch told him firmly, helping JJ to put him under the blanket.

"Hey, Hotch. What are you doing here?" Morgan repeated his words from earlier.

Hotch snickered despite his best effort. "I'm putting you to bed."

"I don't want you to put me to bed." Morgan's voice was barely above a whisper now. "I want someone else to put me to bed."

JJ raised an eyebrow at Hotch. "Who do you want to put you to bed, Morgan?"

"I like your new nanny, Hotch. I like to watch her dance. 'The Itsy Bitsy Spider...'" Morgan's voice trailed off and he was quickly asleep.

"That was... awkward," Hotch commented. "Though, I'll have to tell Anna that I was right about Morgan."

JJ laughed. "Thanks again for the help. I'm going to stay here with him for a little while, just to make sure he's going to stay asleep."

"Would you like some company?" Hotch asked, surprising himself.

"That would be great, actually. You can make sure I don't fall asleep." JJ flopped down on the other bed and leaned against the headboard. She grabbed Hotch's wrist to pull him down next to her when she saw him hesitate.

"How was the rest of the team?" Hotch asked, settling in beside her.

"About what you'd expect. This one will stick with us for awhile. Thank you for getting us those days off. I really think we need them."

Hotch leaned his head back against the headboard. He breathed in the smell of the lavender of her shampoo. It was all he could do not bury his face in her hair. "I'm thinking of taking Jack away from a few days, maybe go see Sean."

"Jack would love that. The only thing he talked about at the pool last weekend was how Uncle Sean sent him a t-shirt and Uncle Sean sent him a key chain and Uncle Sean sent him a motorcycle."

"He's got a little Sean-idolization. That's for sure."

"Anna seems to have a little of that, too. Does she know Sean?"

Hotch sighed, painfully. "They met at Jack's christening. They hit it off, mostly to spite me, I think. They're favorite joke is to pretend to being having a long running affair."

"It's weird, isn't it? We go through so much together as a team, but how much do we really know each other outside of that? We keep our personal lives at an arms' length and we keep our personal lives at arms' length from work. Does anyone ever really have the chance to know us?" The leftover alcohol in her system was causing her to be more morose than she normally would.

"I don't know," Hotch told her honestly. "I'd like to think that if we can't find someone who understands why we keep work at work that we at least, can find someone who understands that we have to and isn't bothered by it."

JJ boldly laid her head on Hotch's shoulder, growing tired. "You have Anna. She seems to understand."

"Anna is a great friend to have, but she will always be a little sister to me. It's not the same as sharing a life with someone."

"It feels like we've grown closer as a team since she's been around." JJ wanted to steer the conversation away from Haley if she could. "We're spending more time together outside work."

"It does appear that way. Did you know that the day we went to the zoo, I came home to find not only Reid in my living room, but Morgan and Prentiss, too? Just sitting there watching movies."

"Well, did you know that Anna, Will, and Garcia hang out while we're on cases? Or that Prentiss and Morgan have been dragging Rossi out to clubs? And when was the last free Saturday that you and I didn't spend together with Henry and Jack?"

"I guess Anna has that affect on people. She likes to bring them together."

"I think it started before Anna. I think she just helped to speed it up."

Hotch laid his cheek on JJ's head. "Why did you break up with Will?"

JJ stiffened. "I told you. We were just better off as friends."

"But why now? Or, at least, why five months ago?"

"Watching... you... grieve for Haley, even after you were divorced, I realized that... I just don't feel that kind of love for Will. I want the chance to feel that." JJ grabbed his hand. "Do you think you'll ever feel that way again?"

"I don't know... but I want to," Hotch told her honestly.

JJ shifted to look up at him. "Hotch..."

"I'm going to be sick!" Morgan shouted, suddenly. He jumped out of the bed, tangling his feet on the blanket, and falling to the floor. He crawled rapidly into the bathroom.

"I better go help him," JJ said, before she followed Morgan into the bathroom. Hotch closed his eyes and banged his head against the headboard, trying to figure just what had happened before Morgan got sick. When did he become the guy that wanted to bury his face in his subordinate's hair? Had he really been seconds away from leaning down and kissing her in a hotel room with Morgan passed out in the next bed? What happened to all that resolve to keep her as just a friend? And what was this growing part of him that didn't care if that resolve disappeared completely?

"Hey, Hotch?" JJ called out from the bathroom. "Can you bring me a few more towels? I think they're on the dresser."

Hotch jumped up and snagged the towels, hurrying into the bathroom to help her out.

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"Hello?" Hotch called out, entering the house the next morning. He dropped his go bag by the front door and hung his jacket over the couch.

"Hey," Anna said, popping out from the kitchen. "Welcome back. How are you?"

"I'm okay." Hotch sighed. "I'm working through it."

"Jack is upstairs in his room, playing. I told him you were coming home today, but I didn't tell him when."

"Okay, thanks. I'll go up and see him in just a bit. I'm going to take him to Sean's for a few days so you'll have the house to yourself."

"Excellent. Time to throw a wild three bender."

Hotch glared at her. "We'll only be gone for four days. Would you mind packing Jack's bags for me?"

"Not a problem. You be sure to tell Sean that I look forward to his next visit."

Hotch sighed and began to make his way to the stairs.

"Hey, Hotch," Anna called out, stopping him. "Did something happen on this trip? Something not to do with the case?"

"Morgan admitted he likes the way you dance; something about the 'Itsy Bitsy Spider?' Any idea what that's about?" Hotch teased. He was hoping to throw her off of his musings from last night. It was as if she had a passport into his brain at times.

"Sounds to me like one or both of you were really drunk."

Hotch internally breathed a sigh of relief. If she caught onto anything, she was going to mercifully let it go. "He was. JJ and I spent all night taking care of him. I imagine that he'll have a hangover for the next few days. In fact, I think most of the team has a hangover today."

"Tell you what. I am going to throw a team barbeque the day after you guys get back. Spencer will be back by then, too."

"What is with you and JJ and these team barbeques?" Hotch asked, walking up the stairs.

"It builds team strength and it gives me a chance to observe your co-workers." Anna waited until he was up the stairs before whispering, "And it gives you and JJ a chance to be together outside work. If only you'd stop fighting yourself..."


	4. Of Truths and Consequences

"We're not watching waiting for Hotch?" Prentiss asked when JJ entered the conference room and turned on the big computer screen. The rest of the team, minus Rossi, were patiently waiting around the table for JJ to present their latest case.

"No," JJ told her.

"He got held up by Strauss," Reid elaborated. He grinned grimly at the flashes of sympathy around the table.

"This is Francis and Kristen Cahill," JJ began, drawing attention back to her. She showed a picture of two smiling brunettes on the screen, "mother and daughter. They were kidnapped three months ago. Their bodies were found in a field two weeks later, about two miles from where they were kidnapped. Both were tortured repeatedly. This is Beth and Michelle King. They were kidnapped two months ago, their bodies found in a field two weeks later, both tortured. And this-"

"Sorry, I'm late," Hotch said, walking into the room.

"No problem. We were just going over-"

"How old was the daughter when they were kidnapped?" Hotch demanded, color draining from his face as he studied the bodies on the screen.

"What?" JJ asked, confused. The rest of the team glanced at each other.

"How old?" Hotch asked again, more forcefully.

"Eighteen."

"Was it her eighteenth birthday?"

"Yes," Prentiss said, jumping in after glancing at the file in front of her.

"Where were the bodies discovered?"

"Prince William Forest Park," JJ told him.

Hotch whipped out his phone. "This is SSA Aaron Hotchner. I need a security detail sent to my house. Pick up my son, Jack, and his nanny, Anna McCrea, and bring them to my office immediately."

"Hotch, what is going?" Morgan demanded, when Hotch hung up the phone.

"There were three cases about twelve years ago, same M.O.: mothers and daughters taken on their 18th birthdays. There was one survivor; his first."

"Anna?" JJ asked.

"Anna," Hotch answered, his voice betraying just the faintest hint of fear. He turned and stormed out of the conference room, calling over his shoulder, "I've got to find Rossi!"

"Wait! What about Anna?" Reid called after her.

"Does anybody know what's going on?" Morgan asked the rest of them.

Prentiss shook her head. "I thought she was just a witness on a case."

"I don't know much more than you." JJ held her hands up in mock peace when all eyes turned to her. "I knew she was involved in a case; I knew she was a victim. I don't know anything about the case."

"We better review then," Prentiss said, determinedly.

"Garcia, we're going to need everything with can on those first cases," Morgan ordered.

Garcia began to protest. "But, Hotch said-"

"I think that's all gone out the window, now, Pen," JJ assured her, placing a hand on Garcia's shoulder.

"Right." Garcia hurried from the room.

"Let's get back to the new cases." Morgan set his jaw to determination, signaling for JJ to continue.

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.

"Hotch, what is going on?" Anna demanded, storming into the BAU. Hotch stood near the conference room. He scrambled to move when he saw her gunning for him.

"Where's Jack?" he asked, quietly.

"He's fine. He's with Penelope, playing a computer game. Why are we here?"

Hotch grabbed her shoulder. "Let's talk in my office."

"What is that?" Anna asked, pulling away from Hotch to get a closer look at the screen in the board room. "Is that him?"

"Anna, please-"

"Is it? Is it him?" Anna shouted at Hotch. He tried to pull her away, but she struggled against him. "Tell me right now! Is that him?"

The entire office stopped to stare at the commotion. Anna could see Prentiss and Reid stand from their desks and Morgan and Rossi appear from Rossi's office.

"I think it is," Hotch said, simply.

Anna fell to her knees, gasping for air. "I can't breath. I can't breath."

"Morgan, grab me some water!" Hotch barked. He knelt down beside Anna and grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look into face. "Breath, Anna, just breath. In. Out. In. Out."

Anna stared at Hotch's mouth, matching her breaths with his to calm herself down. Her breathing was normal by the time Morgan arrived with a bottle of water.

"Are you okay?" Morgan asked, handing her the water.

"Yeah. I hate it when those things come out of nowhere," she replied, trying to hide her fear from him. She waited until Morgan stepped away before turning back to Hotch, struggling to stop her chin from quivering. "He's really back?"

"Yes," Hotch said simply.

"You want me to talk about it."

"Yes."

Anna could see the apology forming in his eyes, even as his voice remained confident. "I don't think I can do this. They have the report from twelve years ago."

"It's better if they hear it from you. I wouldn't ask you if it wasn't important. You can do this. You're strong."

"They'll look at me differently," Anna whispered.

Hotch shook his head. "No, they won't. They know who you are."

"It's human nature, Hotch. You do it." Anna sighed when he looked at her, unconvinced. "In the back of your head, you always see me as that scared, little girl you pulled out of the woods and I'll always see you as the brave FBI agent who found me. It's why you're the overprotective big brother and I'm the annoying little sister."

Hotch smiled at her, offering her comfort in stroking her hair. "I also see what you've become: an amazing, independent, intelligent, wonderful woman. You are one of the only people in this world that I trust with my son because I know there isn't anything you wouldn't do to protect him. That's the you that they know. That's the you that they'll continue to know."

"Okay," Anna agreed, though she wasn't convinced. "Okay."

"I can limit who's in the interview room," Hotch offered, helping her to stand.

"No. If I'm going to tell this story, I want them all to hear. I'm only going to tell it once."

Anna sat at the interrogation table, her hands in front of her. Hotch sat directly across from her; JJ to Hotch's right. Prentiss and Reid sat at the other end of the table, rapt with attention. Morgan hovered in the doorway, while Rossi leaned against the wall behind Anna. Garcia declined to be hear the story in person.

"Start at the beginning," Hotch told her, gently.

"My name is Anna McCrea," she started, her voice distant and her eyes fixed off to the side of the table, "but I was born Anna Kingston. My father is Theodore Kingston."

"Theodore Kingston? The multi-millionaire?" Reid asked.

Anna briefly looked at Reid. "Yes. I changed it when my parents divorced. I was eight. When my father divorces someone, he walks away; there is no support. I saw him twice a year when my grandmother came to visit him. She demanded that all of her grandchildren be there when she visited. I changed my name because he didn't deserve to have another child with his name.

"My mother moved me from DC to Pittsburgh after the divorce. Her family is from there. My mother and I had a tradition on my birthday to spend the day together, just the two of us. We would have manicures done, go to lunch, and spend the afternoon shopping. It was a splurge that she had to save up months to do. That's what we did on my eighteenth birthday."

Anna paused to wipe the single tear that rolled down her face. "We had just left the restaurant and were heading to the car when he grabbed, held a knife to my throat, and forced my mother to get into the van. He st-stabbed her with a needle full of something to make her go to sleep. Then, he used the needle on me. The last thing I remember is being thrown into the back of the van."

"What can you tell us about the van?" Rossi asked her, gently.

"It was dark blue. It was scratched and dented. And the carpeting was brown. I remember think how odd it was to have brown shag carpet in a work van. I know there were tools, but I don't remember what they were."

"What happened after you woke up?" Hotch prodded her along.

"My wrists and ankles were handcuffed to a chair. The chair was bolted to the ground." Anna closed her eyes, losing herself in her memories. "I looked over to my left and my mother was sitting in an identical chair. He was standing over her trying to wake her up."

"What did he look like?" Prentiss questioned.

Anna shook her head, her eyes remaining close. "He wore a mask. The entire time, he wore a dark green ski mask and gloves, but they were thin... so he could work."

"Eye color? Skin color?"

"He was white, a pale white, like he hardly spent any time in the sun. He wore contacts that turned his eyes purple. When he talked, he kept his voice low, and changed accents all the time. He just kept telling us that it would be over soon." Tears were flowing from Anna, made she made no move to wipe them away. "That once he got the money, he'd let us go. That it was usually all done in half a day. He didn't know my father."

"Your father didn't pay?" JJ practically shouted in disbelief.

"No." Her tears were drying as anger dominated her feelings. "For three days, we sat in those chairs. He'd let us up one at a time to use the bathroom, but other than that, we just sat in those chairs. He got angrier and angrier as time went on. On that third day, he realized my father wasn't going to pay, that he was going to have to kill us. But he decided he would have some 'fun' first."

Hotch laid his fingers on the table, close enough for her to know they were there, but careful not to touch her. "Do you need a break?"

"No," Anna croaked. She opened her eyes just enough to see his fingers, watched as they twitched, wanting to touch her, to comfort her, but knowing it was the last thing she needed. Anna felt a wave of gratitude towards Hotch wash over her. Anna closed her eyes once again and pulled herself in tight. "He uncuffed me from the chair and cuffed me to the bed. He made sure that my mother could see. He... raped... me over and over for the next two days. He made sure my mother saw, but I didn't scream or cry. I didn't want her to hear that. I just laid there quietly."

She could hear Morgan shift disgustingly in the doorway. Anna forced the bile in her throat back down, trying to remember that his disgust was aimed at the man, not at her. As she realized that she had gone silent, she could pick up the tiny noises of Rossi moving against the wall, of Reid bending his head in sadness, of JJ and Prentiss glancing at each other, of Hotch twitching his fingers in tiny circles on the table. She thought of her mother, the 5'6" spitfire with dark hair and the same blue eyes as Anna. The mother who worked crummy job after crummy job to support the two of them. The mother who wore her coat too long, her shoes too long, her clothes too long so that Anna never went without. The mother who sacrificed herself so her daughter had a chance to live. Anna pictured her mother's face and drew strength from it.

"He had started drinking the second day that he had us, after his ransom demand deadline had come and gone. The drinking got worse as time went on, but he always kept that mask on, kept his voice low. The night of that fifth night, he was so drunk, he could barely see straight. He forgot to lock my mother after he let her go to the bathroom. He passed out next to the bed. My mother got the key from his pocket and she unlocked me." Anna absently rubbed her wrists, tears flowing. "He woke up as we were leaving the cabin. There was fire in his eyes, even through the contacts. She lunged for him, just before he grabbed me. She told me to run; told me that the only way to save us was to get help. I ran. I ran... for hours." Anna finally opened her eyes and looked at Hotch, his eyes red with unshed tears. "Until I found you."

Hotch smiled, sympathetically. Anna put her hands over her face and sobbed. No one in the room moved, save for a few glances thrown at each other. She pulled herself together after a few minutes. Her eyes sought no one, preferring the table instead, but she did not close them.

When she spoke, her voice once again took on that far away tone. "It was a hunting cabin, just a single room. There was one bed, one table with one chair, the two chairs bolted to the floor, and a single toilet in the corner. There was nothing remarkable about it. He never spoke in his normal voice. Never talked about anything other than his money and later the 'fun' he was going to have. He never hummed a song. There wasn't a road to the cabin. I have no idea how he got us there. It's been twelve years and I still have no idea who this man is."

Anna looked up at Hotch. "Hotch, I-"

He jumped up suddenly, seeing the panic engulf her eyes. "Come on."

Hotch followed her out the door, close behind her, but not touching her. He promised the others he would be back shortly. Morgan took his seat at the table; Rossi took Anna's. For a few minutes, they all just stared at each other.

"You knew about this?" Morgan asked Rossi, his voice holding an undercurrent of tension.

Rossi nodded. "Anna's case was one of the last cases I worked out of the BAU. I was already halfway out the door by then and my knowledge was mostly peripheral. I know Hotch kept her up to date on the case as it progressed and I know that he was the only one she would talk to about what happened. This unsub took four additional mothers and daughters before he disappeared. Hotch took it hard, but he wouldn't talk about it to anyone else... except Anna. I don't know what it was, but those two clicked. They've been good friends ever since."

"How is she?" Reid asked as Hotch reentered the room.

"She'll be okay." Hotch sat in the remaining free chair. "Anna's mother's name was Amelia. He beat her, slit her throat, and then burned down the cabin before he escaped. He kidnapped four other times that we know of before he stopped; always a mother and daughter; always on the daughter's eighteenth birthday. The bodies were always placed in a field in the same manner as these recent murders. At the scene of the first murder after Anna's kidnapping, he left Amelia's obituary so we'd know it was him.

"We believe he was simply a kidnapper demanding ransom until Ted Kingston refused to pay, causing his MO to change. There were whispers of this type of kidnapping happening before, kidnappings for money, but we couldn't get any confirmation. We believe that it was after Anna and Amelia that he realized it was rape and murder that got him going. We haven't heard from him in twelve years."

Hotch knew he didn't sound like the professional profiler that her normally did; knew the words he was saying sounded as if they were coming from a rookie, but the case was too personal to him. Anna was too personal to him.

JJ placed her hand on top of Hotch's to bring him back into focus. "What does Anna need?"

"She needs us to treat her as we always have; to laugh with her, to tease her," he glanced at Morgan, "even to flirt with her. If you find yourselves drifting into thinking about what happened to her, you need to make an excuse to leave the room. And if you don't think you can do that, you need to let me know."

Hotch watched each of their faces, waiting for any sign of indecision. Seeing none, he continued, "Morgan, Rossi, Prentiss, I want you to go to the latest crime scene. See what you can learn there. JJ, Reid, go to police station and gather all of their information. Invite them back here. We're going to set up the command center here. I'm keeping Anna and Jack at the BAU until this man is caught."

With that, Hotch stood abruptly and left the room. Again, the members of the BAU team fell silent, staring at each other until Rossi rose. "Come on. We've got work to do."

As the rest of his team scurried out the door with work on their minds and heaviness in their chests, Hotch began to set up the conference room for the case, a job that usually fell either to JJ or to himself and JJ. He was giving Anna time to regroup. Jack was still with Garcia, lost in fantasy computer games. It was nearly an hour before he realized that he hadn't seen or heard from Anna.

Hotch made his way out of the conference room and to the women's locker room. Standing firmly outside, he opened the door just enough to call out for Anna. Silence answered him. He called out a second time, but again received no reply. He was just about to brave entering the locker room himself when a hand on his shoulder caused him to jump.

"Sorry, sir," Garcia apologized, taking a step back.

"It's okay. Um, do you need something?"

"It's just... if you're looking for Anna, she's in your office with Jack."

"Oh. Thank you." Hotch blinked, breathing deeply. He reached out and squeezed Garcia's shoulder, knowing she had kept an eye out for Anna even as she played with Jack and ran searches on her computer. "Thank you for everything."

Garcia smiled and nodded before walking away. Hotch made his way to his office and peered through the open window. He found Jack and Anna sitting at his desk, coloring. Jack sat on Anna's lap. Almost as if he instinctively knew something was wrong with Anna, despite her smile, Jack leaned back into her every thirty seconds or so. Each time he did so, Anna gave him a quick kiss on the temple.

Hotch cautiously opened the door to his office, careful to go slow so that he didn't startle Anna. She and Jack looked up at him with wide smiles on their faces. Anna held sadness and tension in her eyes. She nervously ran her hand through her still damp hair.

"Hi, Daddy!" Jack said excitedly. He wiggled in Anna's lap, but didn't jump down. "I'm drawing pictures for my JJ. This is us at the zoo. Remember when the lion scared Henry, Daddy, and he hide his face on your shoulder?"

"I do," Hotch replied, patting Jack's head. "I also remember that when the lion roared, you grabbed Miss JJ's hand and wouldn't let go."

Jack scrunched up his face, but didn't disagree. "Can we go to the zoo again with Miss JJ and Henry?"

"Maybe sometime soon."

"Jack, do you think could go color on the couch for a minute so Daddy and I can talk?" Anna asked him. Jack nodded and jumped down from her lap. He hummed to himself as he colored on the couch. Anna looked up at Hotch, read the concern in his eyes. "I'm okay, Hotch."

"Are -"

"I showered. I decompressed. Now, I'm coloring." She held up a blue crayon. "I'm doing okay. I always knew there was a possibility that this would happen one day, that he would come back, that I would have to tell this story."

"Just... don't shut down. Don't hide."

Anna shook her head. "Jack needs me. I'll be okay. Did you give them the speech?"

"Speech?"

"The 'don't treat her any different' speech." Anna smirked at the sheepishness on his face. "It's okay. It's what makes you a good big brother."

"Yes, I gave them the speech."

"Just remember that I get to give a speech one day, too." Anna bit the side of her mouth to stop from laughing when he tilted his head, perplexed. "The 'JJ, don't hurt my big brother because he really cares about you' speech."

"Anna!" Hotch gasped, frantically looking over at Jack to make sure that he hadn't heard her. Jack was still involved in his picture. Hotch tried to glare, but was too pleased that she was sounding like herself, even if her eyes still betrayed her pain.

"One of these days, we are going to have to talk," Anna told him when her chuckling subsided.

Hotch opened his mouth to say more, but was interrupted by a knock on the door. Reid stuck his head in just far enough to see Hotch and Anna.

"Um, Hotch, there's something we need you to see," Reid told him, his voice attempting to sound all business. He gave Anna a reassuring smile.

"I'll be right there," Hotch assured him. He waited until Reid left before laying his hand next to Anna's, close enough for her to feel his presence, but not actually touching her. She wasn't ready for that just yet. "I'll be right outside."

"Go. Solve. Catch the bad guy," Anna told him with false bravado.

Hotch paused outside his office as he left, watching as Jack crawled back onto Anna's lap and gave her a huge hug. He smiled to himself, proud of his son. Hotch turned and walked to the conference room where Reid and JJ were waiting for him.

"What is it?" Hotch asked, his stomach clenching at the dour looks on their faces.

JJ handed him a piece paper. "This was sent to the police department."

"It's a note addressed to Anna," Reid explained. "He claims he's doing all this for her."

"Hotch?" JJ whispered, placing her hand on his arm when he didn't say anything. Hotch instinctively placed his hand on top of hers and squeezed.

"Get everybody back here. We need to look at this a different way."


	5. Of Musicals and Endings

"Okay, everyone," Hotch said, after he was quiet for a few minutes. "Let's take a break for dinner and regroup later."

The team had spent the last few hours reviewing everything to do with the case. They had what they thought was a solid profile, but it didn't feel like enough. They were no closer to knowing the true identity of the unsub then they had been twelve years ago. Already, frustration was beginning to form in the tension of everyone's eyes.

The note left by the unsub at the crime scene had read simply, "My Dearest Anna, I do this all for you, until we meet again." It wasn't detailed, contained nearly innocuous wording, yet it terrified Hotch down to his soul. The unsub had called her out by name. It wasn't enough that he had killed her mother, robbed her of ever feeling safe, and nearly destroyed her life. No, he had to try to put the blame for the other murders he committed at Anna's feet. The hatred Hotch felt for this man nearly rivaled the hatred he felt for Foyet. He was not going to lose another person he loved to one of these monsters.

"I'll order pizza," Prentiss offered, drawing Hotch out of his thoughts. She and Rossi walked out the conference room after Hotch nodded his approval. Hotch watched as JJ and Morgan followed leaving himself and Reid behind.

"Reid, break time," Hotch reiterated.

Reid was staring at the board. He waved Hotch off. "I'll be out in a minute."

Hotch sighed, but didn't argue with him. He could see his own protectiveness reflected in Reid's eyes. Anna's story had shocked Reid to his core. Now, he wanted to strike back at the man who had hurt his big sister in any way he could. For Reid, it meant intellectually as he was ineffective at any physical blows.

On autopilot, Hotch steered towards his office. He thought briefly of stopping to check on Jack and Anna, who had commandeered one of the small conference rooms, but decided he needed to decompress first. Anna was doing her best to hold everything together to not scare Jack and Hotch was afraid he would make it too hard for her to maintain that facade.

Hotch shut the door when he reached his office. He closed the blinds to shield himself from everyone. Hotch sat on the floor and closed his eyes, trying to prepare himself for his next step. He felt bone deep wariness setting in and knew he would have to do something to shake it off, not just for himself and Anna, but for the entire team as well.

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"Hey," Anna said to Reid as she walked into the conference room. He remained staring at board as if it would it tell him something.

"Uh, hey," he replied, startled. He moved as if to block some of the images from her. "Should you be in here?"

"I've seen it all, read everything about the case," Anna countered. "Well, the old case anyway."

Anna stood next to him, analyzing the board along with him. They were quiet for a few minutes before she spoke again. "Do you think... that if my father had paid the ransom, all these people would still be alive?"

"I think it's possible that he may have continued with only kidnapping for ransom," Reid told her, cautiously. "It's also possible that he was always going to find this. He's a psychopath."

Anna's eyes lingered on the note left by the unsub. "Do you think... that if I hadn't lived, if I had died in that cabin with my mother, that he wouldn't have killed all these other people?"

"No," Reid told her fiercely. "None of this is on you, Anna. You survived. That was no small feat. Anything this man has done is all on him. I think he would have done this anyway. He just would have found another justification. It's what they do."

"I thought you said you were bad at this emotion stuff," Anna teased, bumping his shoulder with hers.

"I seem to be getting better at it." Reid turned and looked at her. "Why didn't you tell me about your past?"

"I haven't even known you for six months. There's people I've known for years that don't know. It's not something I share with a lot of people."

"But don't you think that we, of all people, would have understood?"

Anna wanted to strike back, to tell him it was none of his business, but she heard the underlying hurt in his voice and found she didn't want to cause him further pain. "I just wanted to put it behind me. I thought he had disappeared or died or was in jail. I didn't want to risk seeing pity in your eyes. I didn't want you to see me differently."

"Look at me." Reid stared at her earnestly. "Am I looking at you any different?"

Anna searched his eyes. "No."

"Remember that from now on. You can come to me with anything." Reid shrugged and blushed slightly. "I'm your little brother."

"Yes, you are."

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JJ walked into Hotch's office without knocking. She had been worried when she saw the blinds closed; he normally left those open, but she wanted to give him some time to pull himself together. JJ found him still sitting on the floor, leaning against the couch. He was staring straight ahead, lost in thought. She sat down beside him, her shoulder against his, before he registered her presence.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Hotch breathed deeply. "Honestly, I can't even tell you what I'm thinking. My thoughts are... everywhere right now."

"I talked to Detective Jaffee. He's going to stop by tomorrow. They're going to go ahead and begin a search of the park."

"If he follows pattern, they'll discover the bodies sometime in the next few days."

"Do you think there's a chance that Rita and Sarah are still alive?" JJ settled her leg against his.

"I suppose it's possible."

"Why do you think he changed patterns? Twelve years ago with the first cases, he kept them for five days, following the same time span as with Anna, but now he keeps them for two weeks."

"We don't know what he's done, where he's been for the last twelve years. There could be any number of reasons that he changed his MO."

JJ tucked her hair behind her ear. "Anna's father really didn't pay the ransom?"

"No. He showed up afterward, demanding justice, but it was all for show after the reporters got a hold of who Anna really was." Hotch's disgust was thinly disguised. "She kicked him out of her hospital room; out of the investigation."

"Wow. I mean, I thought my father was a bastard, but that just takes the cake."

"Your father was a bastard?"

JJ shrugged. "He cheated on my mom, wrecked their marriage. He barely had time for either my sister or me before the divorce and almost nothing after the divorce, but I honestly believe that if he had been in that situation, he would have paid that ransom."

"It's hard for me to wrap my head around a father not paying."

"Why do you think he didn't?"

"I don't know." Hotch paused for a moment. "What's with the twenty questions?"

"Just trying to clear your thoughts."

Hotch chuckled, gratefully. "For all my talk to the rest of you about treating her the same, seeing her the same, I always see that girl who stumbled out of the woods and collapsed in my arms somewhere in the back of my mind. I just want to protect her, from the world, from herself. She acts so big and strong, but she's just so fragile on the inside. This could knock her back for years. She could-"

Hotch was cut off abruptly when JJ leaned over and kissed him, fast and chaste.

"What - what did you do that for?" he asked, hoarsely. His lips tingled where they had touched hers.

JJ blushed slightly. "I just wanted you to stop that train of thought. It seemed like the most effective method to do so at the time."

"Oh."

"Anna will be fine. She has you. She has us. She'll be okay."

Hotch leaned slightly towards JJ, unconsciously licking his lips. "I just hope she's-"

A knock on the door caused them both to jump slightly. Reid and Prentiss walked in after Hotch gave them permission. They sat down the the chairs, facing Hotch and JJ. Neither of them raised an eyebrow at Hotch and JJ's position on the floor.

"Pizza's on the way," Prentiss informed them after a few moments of silence. "Jack's with Rossi. I take no responsibility for anything that he may pick up while with Rossi."

"Where's Anna?" Hotch asked.

"She's, uh, taking a walk around the office. She said she needed to clear her head," Reid told him.

"How did she seem?" JJ queried. She nudged Hotch's leg subtly without thought. He seemed to be the only one who noticed.

"She seemed okay, actually. She was studying the board."

"There's nothing there she hasn't or wouldn't see," Hotch interjected.

"She's carrying a lot of guilt."

Prentiss chuckled, joylessly. "That's to be expected. I mean, she'd have survivor's guilt with her mom and guilt over these other murders, even though none of it is her fault."

"She also feels guilty that she kept this from you," Hotch added, "even as she believes it was the right decision. She'll be okay, though. Anna's a fighter."

"Can I ask," Prentiss began timidly, "what is with you and Anna? I mean, no offense, Hotch, but your friendship is kind of taboo."

"I don't know." Hotch shrugged. "Anna had us all laughing hours after she was rescued, despite everything. She said it was her coping mechanism. She didn't break down until it was just the two of us in the hospital the next day. She hung around to help with the case anyway she could, even offering to go on coffee runs. She just wanted to help."

Hotch folded his hands before continuing. "Haley and I were having problems back then, too. It kind of all came to a head one night and she threatened to leave. Anna found me after a particularly vicious fight. Somehow, she got me to talk."

"She has that affect," JJ commented with a grin.

"She does. We've been friends ever since."

"Hi, Daddy!" Jack said, leading Rossi into Hotch's office. His eyes lit up when he saw JJ. "Hi, Miss JJ!"

JJ held her arms out to Jack, who leapt into them. "Hello, my Jack. We're you having fun with Uncle Dave?"

"Yep. He was telling stories."

Rossi held his hands up when the adults looked at him skeptically. "Don't worry. It was all G rated. I turned my first marriage into a fairytale for the kid."

"Daddy, how long are we going to be here?" Jack asked, over his father's groan.

"I think we may stay here tonight. Would that be okay?"

"Like a sleepover?"

"Yeah."

Jack pivoted to face JJ. "Are you staying, Miss JJ?"

"Yep."

"Yay!" Jack threw his arms around her, much to the amusement of the adults. For the first time in hours, the smiles on their faces were genuine.

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"It's amazing what people live through," Garcia told Morgan as they both sat in her office. "I mean, look at Anna. Look at everything she's been through and she still smiles, she laughs, she gets up every day and embraces life."

"That's not exactly true," Anna said, leaning against the doorway. Garcia and Morgan looked at her, startled. She held up her hands. "Sorry. I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

"You're not," Garcia reassured her.

"What do you mean 'that's not exactly true?'" Morgan asked.

Anna sighed, heavily. "It means... that most of the time, I think life sucks. I don't see the good. I hide it because I don't want the people around me to think the same way."

"But you're living," Garcia commented, hopefully.

Anna shrugged. "I find something to hold onto to keep me going. At first, I lived for my mother. I went to school, I got a job, all the things that she wanted for me. And I looked for her killer. But after five or six years, I... couldn't do that anymore. I was exhausted."

"What happened then?" Morgan asked.

"I stopped everything with the investigation. I fell into a depressive state. I lost my job, what few friends I had left. I pushed Hotch away. I was spiraling until I got a call from my grandmother. She was so worried that she was crying. You'd have to have known my grandmother, but she wasn't the type to do that. So, I lived for her until she died. After that, I found little things to live for."

"What kinds of 'little things?'" Garcia asked, her eyes full of compassion for the little girl she could see inside Anna.

"Like wanting to know how the Harry Potter series ended." Anna blushed furiously. "Needing to see the series finale of ER. Two years ago, it was because they made a second X-Files movie and I absolutely had to see it."

Morgan shifted in his seat. "What are you living for now, if I may ask?"

"Jack." Anna smiled. "Here's the thing: not all of us have the ability to know how to keep on chugging. You've both been through tragedies, and you've come back stronger. It's makes you good at your jobs. It's what makes you wonderful, dependable people. I didn't know how. I had to be taught how to fake it."

"By who?"

"Hotch. That first year, he worked with me to find things to live for until I learned to do it for myself. If you don't know how to do it for yourself and there's no one there to teach you, it's so easy to fall into the darkness."

"What darkness?" Hotch asked, walking up behind her. Anna shook her head in response.

"Guess what, Anna?" Jack said, hopping from foot to foot.

"What?" Anna asked, turning around.

"Daddy says we get to have a sleepover in his office."

"Don't you think that's overkill?" Anna asked Hotch.

"No. He called you out by name. I don't want you or Jack to go anywhere without a member of my team and we're going to be pulling an all-nighter."

Behind them, Garcia and Morgan sighed. Anna hung her head resignedly.

"Guess what else?" Jack said, drawing her attention.

"We're putting a slip and slide in the hallway?"

"Ooh!"

"No," Hotch said, firmly over Garcia and Morgan's smiles.

"Miss JJ wants to see our song and dance routine!"

Anna instantly clammed up. "Oh, Jack. I- I don't know."

"Please!"

"Song and dance routine?" Hotch asked.

"You know that scrapbook that Jessica sent him telling the story of you and Haley?"

"Yeah?"

"Aw," Garcia sighed.

"It talks about your musical. Jack wanted to know what a musical was. Then, he wanted to see a musical. Then, he wanted to do one so we came up with a song and dance routine."

"And we have to show Miss JJ," Jack begged. "She really wants to see it."

"I really want to see it, too," Morgan joked, taking the opportunity to treat Anna as normal.

"Yeah, me, too," Garcia agreed, laughing.

"Jack-"

"It's okay, Hotch," Anna stopped him. She grabbed Jack's hand. "We better go practice."

"Hotch? Is she really that bad?" Morgan asked, after Anna and Jack walked away.

"No," Hotch answered, cryptically.

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"Food's here," JJ said, sticking her head into the conference room where Morgan, Prentiss, Hotch, Reid, Garcia, and Rossi had gathered.

"We're not eating in here?" Reid asked.

"Jack's ready to show off his song and dance routine."

"Ooh." Morgan jumped to his feet, eagerly. He noticed them all staring. "Like none of you want to see this."

"He's right," Prentiss muttered.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Jack announced as they filed into the bullpen. He and Anna stood above them outside Hotch's office on opposite sides of the walkway. "D-direct from my daddy's office, we present 'Jack's Song and Dance Routine!'"

"Music, Jack," Anna whispered.

"Oh, yeah," He ran off to the side and hit play on the iPod stereo that Anna had managed to scrounge up. As the first few notes to "I Don't Need Anything But You" began to play, Jack and Anna raced to each other, joining their hands.

"Together at last!" they sang together. "Together forever! We're tying a knot, they never can sever!"

Jack stood in front, taking the Warbucks role. "I don't need sunshine now, to turn my skies to blue!"

"I don't need anything but you!" Anna joined back in. Jack and Anna continued to sing and dance the routine that Jack had largely coordinated.

"Crank it out!" Jack told Anna, causing her to blush furiously, instantly wishing she hadn't

"'And what's that bathtub tune you always bu-bu-boo?'" Anna sang out, beautifully, to the amazement of the BAU team. There were surprised looks and dropped jaws. Jack and Anna carried forward as if no one had reacted, though the stain on Anna's cheeks didn't fade.

Jack and Anna separated to opposites sides as the song came towards the end. "I would do anything for-"

Anna held her arms out. Jack ran into them and she lifted him up. "You!"

"Take a bow," Anna whispered to Jack, putting him back on the floor. Jack bowed to the whoops and hollers of the team.

"Great job, my Jack!" JJ said, scooping him into a hug.

"You clearly take after your mom," Hotch said, giving him a quick kiss.

"Well, look at you," Morgan said, impressed, walking up to Anna. "You were amazing."

"Thanks," Anna replied. She was trying to sound upbeat, but her voice betrayed her sadness. "Excuse me."

Anna walked as calmly as she could to the nearest bathroom. She stumbled into the last stall and fell to her knees, sobbing. Anna hung over the toilet, throwing up. When she finished, she realized Morgan was standing behind her.

"It was my first time performing in front of people since my mother died," Anna explained almost sheepishly. "I used to do musicals in high school like she did."

"Why did you decide to do it?" Morgan asked. He guided her away from the toilet and sat with her against the wall. Morgan grabbed her hand and held it between his own.

"Because Jack wanted me to. I couldn't disappoint him."

"He's lucky to have you in his life, especially after the year he's had."

Anna smiled, wistfully. "I'm lucky to have him, too. I think I'm lucky to have all of you."

"What do you say that when this is all over, you and I go out?"

"Like on a date?"

"Yeah, like on a date!" Morgan chuckled.

Anna leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Play your cards right and maybe."

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"I don't get why he stopped twelve years," Morgan muttered. They had all, minus Garcia, Anna, and Jack, regathered in the conference room to review the case once again. Garcia was holed up in her office while Anna was putting Jack to bed in an air mattress in Hotch's office. "There's nothing in here to indicate that they were anywhere close to discovering who this guy was. What changed three months after Anna's abduction?"

"I moved," Anna answered him, startling them all. She stepped into the conference room. "I stuck around here at first because of the case, but after Carla and Michelle Cassidy were found dead, I moved back to Pittsburgh."

"Yes!" Reid exclaimed, suddenly, jumping from his seat. "And the latest cases started less than two months after Anna moved back to the area. He's been watching you, but there must be something that keeps him in this area so he only kills when Anna's here. She's his stressor."

"Reid!" Prentiss hissed, shaking her head slightly. He glanced at the horror on Anna's face and shot her an apologetic look.

Anna cleared her throat, trying to stuff her emotions down. "But I've been back here since then. If he's been watching me, he'd know that."

"You've only been back for visits," Hotch replied. "He takes two weeks with his victims."

"So, maybe, he's been doing something else during her short visits," Morgan suggested. "Can you get me a list of all your visits? I'm going to have Garcia run a cross check on all unsolved crimes corresponding to your visits, see if any patterns emerge."

Anna nodded. "I just have to get a box out of storage. It has all of my calendars for the last twenty years or so."

"We'll send Anderson to get it," Hotch told her.

"You know, if Anna really is his stressor, we might be able to use this to our advantage," Rossi spoke up.

JJ looked up from the file she was reading through. "What do you mean?"

"We can hold a press conference and have Anna challenge him for a meeting."

"And you think he'll be stupid enough to show up for that?"

"If he's who we think he is, he'll have to show up. His obsession won't allow for anything else," Rossi said, emphatically.

"No," Hotch told him, anger rippling just under his skin.

"Hotch, man, she'll be safe," Morgan countered, siding with Rossi's assessment. "We'll be there. Nothing's going to happen to her."

"I am not putting her in the situation!" Hotch slammed his fist on the table, causing Anna, JJ, and Reid to all jump. Prentiss and Morgan frowned at each other.

"Aaron," Rossi leaned forward, drawing Hotch's attention to him, "this may be the only way to stop this man, the only way to keep her safe in the end. This way, we control the situation."

"No!"

"I'll do it," Anna said, quietly. She looked at Hotch with such finality that all further protests dies in his throat. "Let's do it now."

"It's late," Reid informed her.

"He'll be watching," Hotch sighed.

"I'll make the arrangements," JJ told them, which is how Anna found herself in front of a room full of reporters. She was standing next to JJ, who was describing the case and the profile of the unsub. Hotch stood to JJ's left and slightly behind. He hung on JJ's every word even as his eyes scanned the room for any threats. Anna's insides turned to jelly as she skimmed the faces in the room. They all blended into one another until she found Morgan's eyes staring steadily at her as he leaned against the back wall. He offered her a small smile of reassurance, which she was barely able to reciprocate.

Anna looked over when she felt a small nudge on her arm. She blinked, realizing that JJ had stopped speaking and it was now her turn. JJ squeezed Anna's arm soothingly as Anna stood in front of the microphones. Anna took a shaky breath before beginning.

"My name is Anna McCrea. Twelve years ago, my mother and I were kidnapped by the same man who took Rita and Sarah Stewart. It is this man that I would like to address today. You are worthless and you are a coward." Anna's eyes grew hard. "You have killed at least eight people in a futile attempt to grab my attention because I beat you. You've had my attention all along. It's time for this to end, just you and me. Meet me tomorrow where it all began, unless you're too scared. This ends."

Anna took one final breath, her eyes softening once again. "Thank you."

Anna quickly left the stand flanked by JJ and Hotch. They ignored the questions shouted from the reporters.

"You did great," Morgan told her, meeting them in a small office away from prying eyes.

"Take me to Jack," Anna pleaded with Hotch. "I just need to know he's okay before we leave."

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Anna stood outside of Myka's Restaurant in downtown Pittsburgh trying to will herself not to throw up. It had been twelve years since she had last stood her; twelve years to the day; twelve years to almost the exact time. She was drowning in memories, in fear, in despair. She glanced around to stop the thoughts rolling over her. There were few people all the street and even fewer cars. The people were all FBI agents and the cars all decoys, but that knowledge did little to belay her apprehension. She could feel Hotch's eyes on her, even though she couldn't see him. That calmed her a little bit. Of all of the uncertainties in this situation, the one thing she was absolutely sure of was that Hotch would do everything he could to protect her.

Anna glanced across the street. Reid was sitting at one of the outdoor tables, pretending to read a book. He was the only person on the BAU team she could physically see. He wiggled his fingers slightly to let her know that he saw her, yet his eyes never left the page in front of him. Anna felt her breath hitch and she turned suddenly so she wasn't facing him.

"How you doing there, Sugar?" Morgan asked Anna through the earpiece tucked in her ear.

"Sugar?" Anna repeated. "Do I look sweet to you?"

"You do look mighty tasty."

"Morgan," Hotch growled as Anna and Morgan chuckled.

The surge of gratitude Anna felt towards Morgan for making her laugh even briefly fled as she watched a dark blue van turn the corner and make its way down the street.

"It's him," Anna whispered, her voice watery.

"Everyone, get in position," Hotch ordered.

Anna folded her arms in mock bravado as the van came to a stop in front of here. She embraced the anger bubbling up from deep inside of her, as the man jumped out of the van, pulling a scared Sarah Stewart with him. He wore the same mask and gloves he wore during the kidnapping.

"It's going to be okay," Anna told Sarah, trying to calm Sarah's sobs. The unsub held a gun to Sarah's head, keeping her as much in front of him as possible to ward off any sniper shots.

"He killed my mom," Sarah cried.

"It's okay," the unsub informed her. He nodded towards Anna. "I killed her mom, too."

"Let her go," Anna demanded. She took a step forward. "It's me you want. It's me that you did this all for; that's what you said. Let her go and take me instead."

"Anna, what are you doing?" Hotch hissed in her ear. "We're almost in position."

"You think I did this for you?" the unsub asked.

"That's what your letter said." Anna forced herself not to shudder when she see saw the glee in the unsub's smile. "That's why killed those women when I moved her; why you raped every time I came for a visit."

"I knew you understood me."

"Let her go and take me instead."

"And, what? As soon as I let her go some sniper takes me out?" he spat back to her. "I don't think so."

"Same time. We'll switch at the same time." Anna unfolded her arms and took another step forward. "We both know that you're not getting out of here alive."

"Anna!" Morgan screeched into her ear.

"You think you're getting out of here alive?" the unsub sneered.

Anna shrugged. "Probably not, but if you ever want the... chance... to... touch... me again, to smell my hair – I remember how you always liked to do that – you'll do the exchange."

The unsub looked from Sarah to Anna and then all around him. He could see agents moving in slowly. He looked back to Anna. "Let's do it."

Anna moved slowly towards him over the protests ringing in her ear. She reached out and grabbed Sarah's arm as the unsub grabbed hers. Anna pulled Sarah with all her strength, pushing her towards the front of the van. Sarah crumbled into a ball, crying.

"Run!" Anna shouted. She elbowed him in the chest as he pulled her in, causing him to stumble backwards slightly. She turned and kicked him in the stomach. He doubled over, crying out in pain. She kneed him in the face next causing him to howl in anger.

"Anna, down!" Hotch demanded, his gun pointed at the unsub. Anna flung herself after Sarah, rolling them both behind the front of the van. Anna covered Sarah's body with hers.

"No!" the unsub hollered. He lifted his arm up to shoot his gun and was stopped by a single shot from Hotch.

"He's dead," Prentiss announced, checking the unsub's pulse. Hotch nodded at her before turning his attention to Anna and Sarah.

"I got them," JJ whispered to Hotch, placing a hand on his arm as she walked by. She knelt down beside Anna and Sarah, carefully placing her hand on Anna's back to not startle her. "Come on. We need to get Sarah checked out."

Anna nodded and stood up. She offered a hand to Sarah. "This is JJ. She's going to take you to see the paramedics, get checked out."

"Is it true, what he said? Did he kill your mom?" Sarah asked her.

"Yeah," Anna whispered.

"And the other murders? And rapes? He did those because of you?"

"No. He did those because he was sick monster. He just used me as an excuse. The only thing I did was survive. So believe me when I say, it's going to be okay. Someday, it's going to be okay."

Sarah nodded, still in shocked, before letting herself be led away by JJ.

"You should go get checked out yourself," Hotch told her, walking up behind her.

"I'm fine," she replied, not turning to face him. "Are you going to yell at me now?"

"Would it do any good?"

Anna finally turned to face him. She shook her head and offered him a small smile. "I am sorry I made you worry."

"I'm just glad you took all those self-defense classes."

"How soon can we leave? I'm ready to go home."

"A few hours?"

Anna nodded. "It feels kind of anti-climatic."

"It'll hit you in a few days." Hotch put his hand on her shoulder. "That's when I'll be there."

"I know. You always are. I'm going to go check on Sarah."

Hotch watched as she began to walk away. "Hey, Anna? You did good."

Anna walked towards the ambulance, meeting Reid on the way. She tossed an arm around his shoulders. "Dr. Spencer Reid, how would you like to go with me to the movies on Saturday?"

Hotch blew out a deep breath, slowly, his eyes raised to the heavens in a silent prayer. It would be a tough road, but Anna was going to be okay.


	6. Of Birthdays and Tequila

It took three days; three days under Hotch's watchful eye, three days of acting normal, before Anna broke down. Will graciously offered to take Jack along with him and Henry on a weekend trip to Sesame Place so she could bottom out without worrying about Jack. Anna spent the entire weekend sandwiched between Hotch and JJ on the couch, watching bad movies, eating junk food and take out, and spending a large chunk of her time sobbing away her demons. Hotch even dragged sleeping bags out so the three of them could sleep on the living room floor. Anna insisted on sleeping separate from the two of them, nearly the only time she was without one of them, as her nightmares tended to cause her to wake violently, thrashing at invisible monsters. More then once during the night, Hotch found himself waking up with his hand tangled in JJ's hair and her hand gently stroking his neck, even as they remained in their own sleeping bags. He breathed a sigh of relief each time he was able to disentangle from JJ without her waking.

By Sunday evening, when Will, Henry, and Jack returned from their trip, Anna was almost back to her normal happy and sarcastic self. Her jokes were a bit softer and her emotions closer to the surface, but only the adults seemed to notice. Jack and Henry jumped right on her lap and regaled her with stories of Sesame Street characters, rides, and cotton candy treats. Anna smiled and laughed the whole time, the joy even reaching her eyes briefly. Her nightmares continued in the following weeks, but grew less in intensity as time went on. By the time they were preparing for Jack's fifth birthday nearly a month later, Hotch wasn't aware of when she had or had not had a nightmare the night before. She was even back to singing, though only in the house and while Jack was around.

Hotch rolled over in his bed the morning of Jack's birthday party and glanced at the clock. It was already after 8:30. Hotch ran his hand over his face to shake off the last vestige of his dream. He had been sitting in his office when JJ entered wordlessly. She stood behind him, running her hands over his shoulders and into his hair massaging his scalp. She grabbed his wrist to spin his chair around. She climbed into his lap, her lips drawing closer to his. He could just feel the ghost of her lips over his when he woke up. Hotch groaned. Despite his best efforts, these dreams where becoming more and more frequent ever since she had kissed me in his office during Anna's case.

Hotch smacked his face to draw his thoughts away from JJ. It was Jack's birthday party. He had a million things to do today. It was already after 8:30. Hotch frowned. He was sure that Jack would have woken him already. Jack was so excited about his superhero party that he had barely slept all week. But now, they were at the day of the party and Hotch didn't hear him at all. Hotch climbed out of bed and padded down the hall to Jack's room. The bed was empty and unmade. He checked Anna's room next. The door was open and again, the bed was empty and unmade. Hotch tried to listen for any sounds in the house, fighting the rising panic in his stomach that occurred anytime he didn't know where Jack was. The house, however, was silent.

Breathing in deeply to calm his nerves, Hotch quietly walked down the stairs. He sighed audibly in relief when he saw Jack and Anna curled up together on the couch. Jack was fast asleep, but Anna turned her head to watch him walk down the stairs.

"What are you doing down here?" Hotch whispered. He sat down on the coffee table and gently brushed Jack's hair, careful not to disturb his slumber.

"Jack had a nightmare. He wanted to call JJ, but I got him to watch TV for a little bit. We both fell asleep," Anna replied in an equally hushed voice.

"He had a nightmare?"

Anna nodded. "He's had a couple the last few weeks. I suspect that the closer it gets to December, the more he'll have."

Hotch averted his eyes briefly. "Next time, wake me. I want him to be able to come to me with these things."

Anna studied him a moment with that look that always made him as if she was peering into the deepest parts of his brain before answering, "Okay."

"He wanted to call JJ?" Hotch asked, after a pause. Anna shrugged, but didn't elaborate. Hotch opened his mouth to say more, but stopped when Jack opened his eyes with a smile. "Morning, Daddy."

"Good morning, birthday boy!" Hotch gathered Jack in his arms.

"Is it time for my party yet?"

"Not yet. We have lots of things to do before the party starts."

"Jack, why don't you go and get dressed and brush your teeth and I will make you birthday pancakes?" Anna asked.

"Yay! Birthday pancakes!" Jack jumped up and hurried upstairs.

"What are birthday pancakes?" Hotch asked her, standing up to follow Jack up the stairs.

"Chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream and bananas."

Hotch sighed. "You're dealing with the sugar crash."

Anna prepared Jack's birthday breakfast as Hotch and Jack got ready for the day. She went to shower and dress while they ate, giving them some bonding time. Jack babbled on about the gifts he hoped to get at his party, displaying no lingering effects of any nightmares he had had during the night. Hotch sat back in his chair, watching Jack talk animatedly, wistfully thinking over the last five years of Jack's life.

Hotch was pulled out of his reminiscing when Anna returned to the kitchen like a whirlwind. She put food away and dishes in the dishwasher, cleaned the stove, counter, and table, and wiped off Jack's hands and face before sending Jack off to straighten up his room. Anna turned her attention to Hotch and ordered him outside to set up an obstacle course she and Jack had designed for the kids to compete for prizes.

When Hotch returned to the house, he found Anna standing at the dinning room table. She had a dozen different toys, trinkets, and candies laid out in front of her. Anna was staring at them as though they were a puzzle she needed to figure out. Hotch opened his mouth to make a sarcastic comment, but was stopped when the doorbell rang.

"Oh, that should be JJ and Henry," Anna told him. "Can you grab the door?"

"JJ and Henry? "

"Yeah. JJ asked if she could help with the party. She seemed to think that planning a kid's party might not be your forte." Anna's eyes sparkled with amusement as she smiled at him. "Uh, Hotch? Door?"

"Right." Hotch hurried to the front door. He opened it to find JJ juggling Henry, a present, and balloons. "Hi, JJ, Henry."

"Hi! Motch! Hi! Motch! Roar!" Henry shouted, bouncing in his mother's arms.

Hotch grabbed Henry from JJ and blew on his stomach in between making roaring sounds to make him laughing. Within minutes, both Hotch and Henry were red-faced and breathless from laughter. Hotch looked over to see JJ still standing in the doorway, smiling at them both. The red on his cheeks grew deeper.

"It's nice to see your silly side," JJ told him in response to the questions in his eyes. "It looks good on you."

Hotch was saved from making a further comment by Jack running into the room, bee-lining for JJ. "Miss JJ! Miss JJ! Do you know what day is today?"

JJ reached down to pull Jack into a big hug. "Could it be your birthday?"

"It is! It is! Is it time for my party?"

"You still have a few hours," Hotch told him, putting Henry down. "Miss JJ and Henry came to help set up for party."

"How's that room?" Anna asked Jack, walking into the room. She greeted JJ and picked Henry up for a quick kiss hello.

"Uh, almost done," Jack lied with a guilty smile.

"Jack, room, go," Hotch ordered.

JJ chuckled as Jack made his way up the stairs with a dramatic sigh. "How can I help?"

"Can you guys decorate the living room?" Anna grabbed Henry's hand. "Henry and I will double-check that we have enough food and drink."

For the next hour or so, Anna bossed both Hotch and JJ around as they prepared for Jack's party with a twinkle in her eye. It didn't escape Hotch's notice that she continually put him and JJ on the same project. It seemed that the reprieve she had given him where JJ was concerned was now over. Hotch made a mental note to discuss that with her later.

"Jack!" Hotch barked as Jack ran past the dining room table, pulling Hotch from his thoughts. Jack knocked off several decorations as he went. Henry toddled after him. Jack never slowed down. Hotch sighed deeply.

Anna glanced at JJ, noticing she was trying to hold in a laugh just as Anna was. Anna put the streamers in her hand down on the table. "Do you think you guys can get everything ready without me?"

"Sure," JJ agreed.

"Why?" Hotch questioned.

"I'm going to take the boys to the park. Let them run off some energy." Anna walked into the living room and grabbed the boys' jackets. "HJ! Henry! Park! Let's move!"

"She's like the child whisperer," JJ told Hotch after Anna left with the boys. Jack and Henry had come running eagerly when she called; the first time they had listened to anyone in the last hour.

"Yeah. Unfortunately, she's usually right in the middle of whatever trouble Jack's getting into."

JJ paused from filling up the party favor bags. "How are her nightmares?"

"Fading. I don't even know when she has them anymore." Hotch hesitated briefly before speaking again. "Jack had a nightmare last night. I don't think it's his first."

"What was his nightmare about?"

"Haley, Foyet... He didn't really want to talk about it."

JJ smiled. "Wonder where he gets that from?"

"He woke Anna up. He didn't wake me up. What do you think that says?"

"About you and Jack? I think it says that Jack loves his daddy and wants to protect him. I think it says that Jack knows how sad you get when you talk about Haley and he doesn't want to make you sad. I think it also says that you made a great choice when you asked Anna to be your nanny as Jack clearly feels safe with her."

Hotch found her eyes with his. "He wanted to call you in the middle of the night. What do you think that says?"

JJ felt her entire face grow hot. She opened her mouth, but closed it again, realizing she didn't know what she was going to say.

"I'm sorry," Hotch apologized, his own cheeks growing red. "I didn't mean to put you on the spot."

"No, no," JJ protested. She stepped forward and placed a reassuring hand on his arm. "I think that Jack and I - really, you, Jack, Henry, and I - have all become close the last few months. I think that Jack woke up scared and when he couldn't talk to his mom, he wanted to talk to a mom. Hotch, I want you to know that Jack can call me anytime, day or night."

Hotch stood suddenly and uncharacteristically pulled JJ tightly into a hug. "Thank you."

"You can call me anytime, too," JJ told him, snaking her arms around his waist. They stood that way for several minutes until Hotch began to tense as if he only just realized what he had done. JJ pulled away so Hotch didn't have to. "Just remember, it goes both ways. I'm calling you the next time Henry decides he wants to play dinosaurs at three in the morning."

"Seriously?"

"Oh, yeah. Twice last week." She picked up the tape from the table. "Hand me the birthday sign."

Hotch and JJ had the entire party ready by the time Anna returned with Jack and Henry. They were much calmer than they had been when they left. Anna had them run around the park several times before and after they played on equipment.

"Wow," Anna said, taking in the decorations. "It looks amazing in here. Doesn't it, Jack?"

"Yeah," Jack agreed, breathlessly. "Thank you, Daddy. Thank you, Miss JJ."

"Guess we did okay," Hotch whispered to JJ. She smiled at him.

"Juice!" Henry demanded loudly. Anna took him into the kitchen, waving off JJ's offer to get it.

"I'll get it!" Jack shouted when the doorbell rang. He tried to run to the door, but Hotch stopped him to answer the door himself. Hotch found Reid, Morgan, and Garcia standing on the other side of the door.

"Uncle Spencer's here!" Jack declared. He jumped on Reid much to everyone's amusement.

Reid's face paled slightly. "Uh, Happy Birthday, Jack. Did you know that the 'history of birthday observance can be traced back before the rise of Christianity. In pagan culture it was believed evil spirits visited people on their birthdays. To protect the person having birthday from the evil effect, people used to surround him and make merry. A lot of noise -'"

"Spence?" JJ interrupted. "Happy Birthday is enough."

"Right."

"Oh, no. Did I miss the history of birthday celebrations?" Anna asked, bringing Henry and his juice back into the room. She gave Reid a quick hug hello. Reid nodded, trying to look nonchalant.

"Why are you encouraging him?" Morgan teased, kissing her lips briefly.

Anna handed Henry off to a squealing Garcia. "I want to hear the whole thing later."

"Okay," Reid beamed.

Any further conversation was halted by the arrival of the first set of Jack's friends and their parents and then by Rossi and Prentiss. It wasn't long before the house was filled with the laughter of children and the conversations of adults. The kids were enthralled by obstacle course. They ran through it over ten times.

Hotch considered the party a huge success when many of the guests (and not just his team) lingered for several hours after the official party time had ended. It gave Hotch a chance to get to know the parents of some of Jack's friends. It also gave him a chance to get to know his neighbors. Hotch felt a pain in his chest he didn't realize he had dull slightly as he grew more comfortable with his neighbors, believing they would help to look out for Anna and Jack while he was away.

Eventually, the party broke up and nearly everyone drifted home. Anna volunteered to dump Jack and Henry in a bath as they were growing increasingly cranky as the evening wore on. It had been a long day for both boys. This left Hotch and JJ alone in the living room. Hotch opened a bottle of wine to ease the tension he felt in his body at once again being left alone with JJ. Somehow, they had gotten on the topic of dating. JJ was currently regaling him with the story of her worst date.

"No, the best part - the absolute best part - was that he called me up the next day waiting another date," JJ laughed into her glass of wine.

Hotch chuckled along with her. "No!"

"Yes!" JJ hit his knee with her foot. "Your turn. Worst date?"

"I don't really have a whole lot of stories."

"Get him to tell you the story of the double date with Haley, the football player, and her sorority sister," Anna told her, coming down the stairs. She was putting a jacket on as she walked. "The one when you and Haley were trying to be friends after the big college break-up."

JJ raised her eyebrows at Hotch. "Double date?"

"Off to the club?" Hotch questioned, trying to change the subject. He felt his neck grow red.

"Nope. I'm spending the night at Spencer's watching movies." Anna picked up an overnight bag from the bottom of the stairs. "The boys are bathed and passed out in Jack's bed."

"Oh, Anna. You didn't have to do that," JJ protested.

Anna grinned. "I'm the nanny. Of course, I did. Anyway, JJ, you're welcome to stay in my room. The sheets are clean and I won't be back until tomorrow afternoon. Oh, and there's leftover pancakes from this morning so Hotch doesn't have to cook."

"Hey! I'm not that bad."

Anna shook her head slightly. "Anyway, the room's yours if you want it. See you tomorrow."

"Well, it was nice of her to invite us to stay at your house," JJ told Hotch with a mischievous grin after Anna closed the door.

"That's Anna for you." Hotch stared at JJ's collar bone, refusing to move his eyes upward. "You are welcome to stay. I mean, Henry's already asleep. We could open that other bottle of wine."

"Hotch, are you trying to get me drunk?" She laughed when Hotch attempted to stutter out a denial. "It's okay, Hotch. I'm just teasing you. It would be nice to stay, though. Thank you."

"Anytime."

"Go get that second bottle of wine and then, I want to hear the story of this date."

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Anna hesitated outside the front door of Hotch's house. She had just dropped Jack off at Jessica's hotel room so that they could visit for the weekend. Jessica had been unable to come up for Jack's birthday party. That left both her and Hotch free for the next two days. She intended on forcing Hotch to talk to her as he used to do before she became his nanny.

He had grown increasingly withdrawn over the last two weeks, since Jack's party, since the night JJ and Henry had stayed. He was also growing more and more short-tempered. He snap at Jack this morning for spilling milk all over the floor, though Hotch was quick to apologize for his outburst. He was even worse at work if the stories that Garcia and Reid told her were true. He nearly left a police officer in tears on their last case. The only person who seemed to have any sort of calming affect on him was JJ and he seemed to be avoiding any alone time with her, putting himself in the field more often than normal. The rest of the team was walking on eggshells around him, more so than usual.

"Jack all settled?" Hotch asked as Anna walked into the kitchen. He never looked up from the paperwork sprawled across the table.

"Yep. He was very excited to see his aunt. When I left, they were decorating the hotel room like the ocean," she replied, pulling two shot glasses from the cupboard.

"That sounds like fun. Thanks for taking him. I'm just so swamped-"

"-with avoiding your sister-in-law," Anna finished with a slight smirk.

"That obvious?" Hotch asked, finally looking up from his paperwork to see Anna put the two shot glasses full of tequila on the table. "Little thirsty?"

"You and I are kid-free and case-free for the night. We're going to play a drinking game."

"I have paperwork."

"That you can finish tomorrow."

"What kind of drinking game?"

"It's not a drinking game as much as I'm going to get you really drunk so you'll talk." Anna confessed, sitting down at the table. "I have tried in just about every way to get you to talk and it hasn't worked. So, now, I'm going to get you drunk."

"Why is it so important for me to talk?"

"Because you haven't been talking, not since Haley. You're about to implode. If you do, you're taking Jack, your team, me with you. And, frankly, you've been incredibly crabby the last few weeks. We can do this the easy way or the hard way, but make no mistake, we're doing this."

Hotch sighed as he contemplated what she said. He grabbed one of the shots and downed it. "Bottoms up."

They made small talk until they had both downed their fourth shots. Anna sat back in her chair, toying with her fifth shot. Her blue eyes grew dark and her features stiffened.

"I guess fun time is over," Hotch said, morosely, watching Anna's expression. He mimicked her actions, sitting back in his chair and running his finger around the rim of the shot glass.

Anna's voice was barely above a whisper when she spoke. "You killed a man, Hotch. You killed a man with your bare hands and you didn't even flinch."

"He killed my wife. He killed Haley. He was a monster," Hotch countered.

"He was and he deserved to die. I don't have an issue with that. I don't even have an issue the way you killed him."

"Then what's you're issue?" Hotch's frustration was becoming evident in his voice. "He killed my wife!"

"She wasn't your wife! She cheated on you! She left you! She took Jack away!"

Hotch threw his shot glass at the wall, causing Anna to flinch. It smashed into a thousand pieces, the liquid oozing down the wall. Hotch let a single tear fall from his eye, feeling his sudden flash anger start to slip away.

"I still loved her. She was the mother of my son. I would have stayed married to her." His voice was calmer now; sadder.

"But were you still in love with her?"

"No," Hotch admitted, closing his eyes.

Anna smiled slightly, finally getting him to admit the truth. "There's nothing wrong with that, you know."

"We had been drifting apart for years before we separated, before we had Jack. I wasn't upset at losing Haley when she sent those divorce papers. I was upset that I felt as though I didn't fight hard enough for our marriage. We had had a great love, a great story."

"Most love stories, even the great ones, come to a sad end. Falling out of love Haley doesn't make it anything less than what happened. It doesn't mean that you didn't love her with all of your heart once."

"I did. I wasn't even in love with her and she still paid the price for my failure."

Anna folded her hands in front of her face. "What failure?"

"If I had just stopped looking for him, he wouldn't have gone after Haley and Jack."

"He murdered how many people and you were supposed to just let that go? If Haley had stopped to think and not just react, he never would have gotten to her."

"Don't you blame her. Don't you dare blame her!" His anger was back. "It was his fault! It was all Foyet's fault!"

"Exactly," Anna replied, calmly. "It was Foyet's fault and no one else's."

Hotch laid his head on the table and released a small sob that grew louder. Anna stood and hugged him from behind when his shoulders began to shake. She put her cheek against the back of his hand, running her hands comfortingly up and down his arms.

"It's not my fault. I did what I could to save her. It's not my fault. It's not. I loved her the best I could. I tried to protect her. It's not my fault."

"It's not. It never was," Anna reassured him.

"And I'm not sorry he's dead. I'm not sorry that I was the one who killed him. But there are days that I wish it hadn't been with my heads. I have nightmares where I can see his face. But I'm not sorry he's dead."

"You saved Jack. He is the most important thing to both you and Haley." Anna held him tight as he broke down, releasing much of his guilt surrounding Haley's death. She wasn't sure how long they stayed like that until he grew quiet, but her arms and legs were stiff by the time he relaxed.

Hotch put his hand over hers. "Can I ask you something?"

Anna smiled as there was now only a hint of sadness in his voice. "Anything."

"Did you and Sean really sleep together?"

Anna chuckled as she sat back down in her chair. "Are you sure you want to know the answer to that?"

"Probably not, but tell me anyway."

"We spent a weekend together."

Hotch groaned. "I'm going to need more tequila for this."

Anna laughed as he chugged straight from the bottle. She grabbed him another shot glass from the cupboard. "Don't worry, Hotch. I'll save you the details."

"I appreciate that." He poured them each a shot.

"So, at the risk of facing your wrath once again, what is with the grumpy attitude the last few weeks?" Anna asked him, taking her next shot. "I mean, I left you here with JJ and it was all smiles. I come back and you've been Mr. Crabass ever since."

Hotch made crab claw gestures with his hands, making them both laugh. He stopped and sighed, heavily. "I did have a great time. I always have a great time with JJ. I need to stop having a great time with JJ."

"Why?"

"Because I'm her boss and it's getting confusing." Hotch took another shot. "There are lines. And you're blurring them!"

"Me?" Anna gave him her most angelic look.

"Don't act innocent, missy. You've been pushing JJ and I together since you got here. Don't think I haven't noticed the zoo passes, and the ice cream trip suggestions, and keeping us decorating the same room for Jack's party."

"You're happier around her."

Hotch growled. "I'm not supposed to be. This is bad."

"Why is it bad?"

"Because I'm her boss."

"I'm sure Dave can find a way around that."

Hotch's eyes grew wild. "Dave doesn't know about this, does he?"

"No, no." Anna shook her head, emphatically. "As far as I know, no one suspects you two are anything but friends. Well, except, Spencer. He's more observant than you all give him credit for."

"I'm glad. I need to keep the distant."

"Why? Other than the fact that you're her boss."

"Because she's still living with her ex that she only broke up with a few months ago. Because they share a son and were really good together. Because my wife, my ex-wife, hasn't even dead for a year. Because my son absolutely adores her and would be devastated if he lost another mother figure. Because over the last few months, she's become my best friend and I would be devastated if I lost her."

"What makes you think you're going to lose her?"

Hotch leaned down and motioned for Anna to come closer. "In case you haven't noticed, I suck at relationships. None of them, not that there have been many, have ended well. I can't do that to JJ."

Anna sighed.

"I need you," Hotch continued, "to back off. I know you only want what's best for me and for Jack, but there's not a good outcome to this. So, please, back off. Let her be my friend and colleague and nothing else."

"I'm not giving up, but I'll back off for now."

"That's all I ask." Hotch leaned back in his chair. He started chuckling to himself.

"What's so funny?"

"Want to hear a joke?"

Anna smiled. His laughter was contagious. "Okay."

"Why was everyone tickled by the fried chicken at the Halloween party? Because the feathers were still on the chicken."

"That was really bad," Anna told him, slapping her forehead with her hand. "We have to get you out more... with adults."

"Ha-ha! Fried chicken!" Hotch cracked up. He fell out of the chair and onto the floor.

"I think it's time for you to go to bed," Anna said, laughing. She pulled him up from the floor and nearly toppled over herself. "Whoa!"

"This - this - this was a GREAT idea!" Hotch told Anna as she dragged him up the stairs. He was practically riding on her back.

"Dude! You are yelling in my ear."

"Sorry," he whispered. He grabbed her tight at the top of the stairs. "Thank you so much for doing this for me!"

"You're welcome, big brother. Let's get you into bed."

Anna led him down the hall and into his bedroom. She dumped him into his bed with a thud. She took his shoes off but left the rest of his clothes on him. Hotch sloppily flopped onto to his side, watching as she grabbed a glass of water and left it on his nightstand. She grabbed his trashcan next and put it by the bed.

"Good night, Hotch," Anna told him, placing a blanket over him. "I'm going to leave both our doors open in case you need anything."

"Thanks, Anna. You're the best." Hotch took a deep breath, his eyes closing. "Anna, can I tell you one more thing?"

"Sure."

"You can't tell anyone."

"I won't," Anna promised.

Hotch sighed again. "I think I'm falling in love with JJ. Every time, she walks into a room, I can't breath. I dream about her all the time. The smile of her shampoo drives me crazy. Whenever I stand next to her, I want to throw her up against a wall and -"

"Stop!" Anna ordered, suppressing a shudder. "There is such a thing as too much sharing."

"Sorry. I'm falling in love with her, but I can't let her fall in love with me. She deserves a great life. I can't give her that."

Anna leaned over and kissed his forehead once he was asleep. "I wouldn't be so sure about that."


	7. Of Hidden Loves and Sad Anniversaries

"Daddy!"

Jack's piercing scream startled the four adults in the living room. Instantly, Anna leapt over the couch and raced up the stairs with Will hot on her heels. She met Jack in the upstairs hallway. He was still half asleep with tears streaming down his face. Anna immediately pulled him into her arms, rubbing his back and whispering soothingly into his ear. Will passed them quietly on his way to Jack's room to check on Henry.

Anna say down on the floor in the hallway and pulled Jack onto her lap. "Do you want to tell me about your dream?"

Jack nodded miserably. "We were in our old house and I couldn't find Daddy. I looked everywhere, but I couldn't find him. And, then, there was a monster chasing me. He grabbed me and I woke up!"

"You're safe, Jack," Anna told him, giving him a squeeze. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Daddy is going to let anything happen to you. It was really scary what happened in your old house, wasn't it?"

"Yeah." Jack laid his head against her shoulder. He picked up her finger and began to play with it.

"That man is gone, Jack. He can't hurt you. He can't hurt Daddy. He's never coming back."

"He hurt Mommy."

"I know. He was a very bad man." Anna paused. "Do you want to talk about your mommy?"

Jack shook his head. "Can I call Daddy?"

"Of course." Anna pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed Hotch's number before handing the phone to Jack.

Hotch answered his phone without looking at the caller ID. "Hotchner."

"Daddy?" Jack sniffed.

"Hi, buddy. Is everything okay? Does Anna know you're calling?"

"She said I could. I had a bad dream."

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

Jack shook his head again, even though Hotch couldn't see him. "I already told Anna. Daddy, when are you coming home?"

"I'm not sure. It won't be for a few days. I still have a bad man to catch."

"Okay."

"How about when I come back, we spend the whole day together, just you and me. We can do anything you'd like."

"Can we go to Funland?"

"Sure," Hotch agreed.

"Can we invite Miss JJ and Henry?" Jack asked, excitedly, shaking off the last of his nightmare.

Anna chuckled at glee. She glanced up to see Will standing there, looking down at them. He had a muddled look on his face. "Henry still asleep?"

"Yeah. I don't think he even moved. That kid sleeps through everything." Will sat down on the floor, too. "Everything okay with Jack?"

"Just a nightmare. Not really surprising given the anniversary of Haley's death is coming up."

Will opened his mouth to say more, but shut it again when Jack asked, "Daddy, can I talk to my JJ? Hi, Miss JJ! Are you helping Daddy catch the bad guy?"

Anna felt herself blush as she realized that Will was staring at her. She narrowed her eyes in amusement. "What?"

"You're really hoping for Hotch and JJ to get together, aren't you?" he questioned, his voice strained.

Anna's smile disappeared as she bit her bottom lip. She shifted awkwardly, glancing at Jack to make sure he was still on the phone and not paying attention to their conversation. She spoke slowly. "I think they could be good for each other, just like I think you and Holly are good for each other."

"Huh." Waves of confusion rushed over Will's face, but he held no anger.

"I think that they understand each other in a way that nobody else does. He was the only one she told about your break-up. She's the only one he talks to about his fears; the only one he'll be vulnerable with."

"They do like spending time together. They always have. It should have made me worry, but I knew neither of them would do anything while we were together."

"I'm sorry if this is awkward for you," she told him, sincerely.

Will rubbed his face with his hands. "Nothing with JJ and I has ever been normal so it's not really surprising that our break-up isn't either. It doesn't really feel awkward. I've always thought Hotch was a good guy."

"If it helps any, Hotch has already put the kibosh on even the idea of them dating. He told me in no uncertain terms to back off."

"Well, if it helps any," Will teased, slapping her hand with his, "I hope it works out; whatever it is."

"Penelope might be right. You might just be the perfect guy."

Will scoffed. "Not even a little. It's really just selfishness on my part. Hotch works the same hours as JJ; longer even. And Hotch knows what it's like to not see your son. If JJ and Hotch got together, I wouldn't have to worry about someone trying to take my place in Henry's life. So, really, it's all about me."

Will and Anna both laughed. Anna shook her head. "All the same, I'll keep any thoughts of Hotch and JJ far away you."

"I'd appreciate that," Will told her earnestly. "I'm only okay with all of this to a point."

"All done," Jack announced, handing Anna back her phone. "Can I watch TV?"

"Absolutely not. Time for bed," Anna told him as he pouted. She returned to the hallway to find Will waiting there a short time later. "He was out not even a minute after his head hit the pillow."

"He's a good kid," Will commented, following Anna down the stairs. He nearly toppled her when she stopped at the bottom of the stairs suddenly. Anna burst into peals of laughter while Will groaned when Kevin and Garcia hastily sprung apart from each other.

"Do you guys need some, uh, privacy?" Anna asked.

Garcia blushed to her roots. "Everything okay up there?"

"Yeah, just a bad dream. Nothing that a phone call to Daddy couldn't fix." Anna shot a glance to Will. He smiled at her, but allowed her not to elaborate.

"Poor little guy," Kevin sighed. "What are they doing to commemorate the, um, anniversary?"

Anna sat down and took a sip of her wine. "I'm not really sure. I know Hotch wants it to just be the two of them all day. I believe they're going to visit the cemetery. I don't know what else."

"We are talking about something happier," Garcia ordered them. Anna and Will shared a look of amusement while Kevin grimaced. Garcia rubbed her hands together. "When do we get to meet Miss Holly?"

"Uh, well, um," Will stuttered, heat rising from the back of his neck.

"Are you bringing her to Hotch's Holiday Party?" Garcia continued. Jack insisted that the only thing he wanted for Christmas was a party with his JJ and his uncle Spencer and all his other "superhero" friends. Hotch suspected that Anna was behind it (she wasn't; he had gotten the idea from a Christmas special), but had yet to prove it.

"No," Will told her. "I'm actually going to her parents'. We leave Christmas afternoon. JJ, Henry, and I are spending the morning together."

"Wow. Meeting the parents already. Must be getting serious," Kevin teased. They all laughed as Will's blush became more pronounced.

"Uh, I guess. I just know I like spending time with her."

"Aw," Garcia cooed. "Has she met my little angel boy?"

Will nudged Anna when he saw her spare cell phone light up. "Not yet. I don't want to bring anyone into Henry's life until I know they're going to be around for awhile. I mean, Holly and I have known each other all that long."

"Everything okay?" Kevin asked Anna. She was frowning at her phone, tension rolling off of her body.

"Just somebody I wish would stop calling." Anna shook herself to break her melancholy. "You know, we really should organize a trip out so that Holly, Penelope, and Kevin can all meet each other. Then, after you introduce her to Henry, she can start coming to our Widows' Club."

"Oh, yeah. That sounds like fun. I'll bring the new girlfriend to the ex-girlfriend's boss' house to meet the ex-girlfriend's best friend."

"Always the sass with you," Anna shot back, causing them all to laugh again.

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"Hey, Hotch, you about ready to go back to the hotel?" JJ asked, sticking her head into the conference room.

Hotch looked up from the pile of papers he was shifting through and blinked a few times to focus on her face. "Uh..."

"It's getting late. Everyone else is already gone."

"You waited for me?" Hotch felt a warmth spread through his chest at the thought of her sticking around solely for him.

"Let's just say that I was worried that you wouldn't leave if someone didn't force you. Come on." JJ jerked her head, causing the highlights in her hair to shimmer in the light.

Hotch closed the file in front of him and wordlessly followed her out of the conference room, through thepolice station, and into the last rental car. He chuckled quietly when she crowded him out of the driver's side. Hotch lay his head against the head rest, staring at the buildings that past as JJ drove. He was aware of the concerned looks she was passing him, but he chose not to comment.

"How have Jack's nightmares been?" JJ asked after five minutes of silence.

Hotch turned his head to face her. "He's had at least one nightmare every night for the last three weeks. Sometimes, they're not that bad and sometimes, he wakes up screaming in terror. He seems to be doing okay during the day, though. He... asks about Haley more often and he's been watching home movies more often. Anna says he wants hugs and kisses a lot more than normal and that he doesn't stray farther than ten feet from her."

"It'll fade. He's a strong kid. He has a lot of people that love him."

"He's preoccupying his time by planning for the Christmas party. I'm going to kill Anna for putting that idea in his head."

JJ cringed. "Uh, about that... I'm pretty sure that wasn't Anna's fault."

Hotch frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Remember the day that Jack came over a few weeks ago to hang out with Henry and I? We watched Christmas movies all day. One of the movies had a Christmas party and Jack fell in love with the idea."

"So, it's all your fault," Hotch told her with mock annoyance.

JJ bit her lower lip to stop from smiling. "Sorry."

"It's okay. That reminds me, I promised Henry that I'd get him a 'Fireman Sam' DVD."

"That's just cruel!" JJ grew serious once again. "How are your nightmares?"

"What makes you think I've been having nightmares?" Hotch sighed, when she waited him out. "I've had a couple, but they haven't been that bad, not like they were before. I think I'm starting to forgive myself."

JJ grabbed his hand, lacing her fingers through his. "You have nothing to be forgiven for."

Hotch squeezed her hand in thanks, pleasantly surprised when she didn't release his hand. Hotch sighed internally knowing he shouldn't be holding her hand; that all the reasons he told Anna a couple of months earlier still stood. But here, on this case, in this car, hundreds of miles away from his son, as the anniversary of Haley's death loomed, he was simply grateful for the human contact.

"You know," JJ spoke, drawing Hotch from his thoughts, "that offer to call me anytime doesn't just apply to Jack. You can call me anytime about anything."

"Thanks," Hotch told her, shooting her a lopsided grin.

JJ reluctantly let of Hotch's hand as they pulled into the hotel parking lot. She snagged his elbow as they entered the hotel. They both paused, glancing around the hotel lobby. It was empty sans a lone employee at the front desk. It was decorated from one end to the other in preparation of Christmas. Hotch doubted Santa's Workshop had more holiday fanfare.

"I know it's not... appropriate, exactly, because you're my boss," JJ told him, slowly, "but over the last year, you've become my best friend; the one I share with more than anyone. I... I just thought you should know that."

Hotch took a deep breath following her into the hotel elevator. "For what it's worth, you've become my best friend, too. Good luck with that, by the way."

JJ bumped him with her shoulder playfully. "So, best friend, do you think you can let Jack drop the 'Miss' from in front of my name?"

"It makes you feel old, doesn't it?"

JJ scrunched up her face. "Incredibly, though it beats when I was 'Miss Jareau.' That made me feel like an old schoolteacher."

"Jack can call you 'JJ' if you'd like," Hotch agreed, trying to mentally beat down the image of JJ as a naughty schoolteacher. They stood in the hallway outside of Hotch's hotel door. "Can you have everyone gather downstairs for breakfast at 7:30? I want to go over a few things before we head back to the station."

"Sure." JJ reached up and grabbed his shoulders before he had a chance to turn from her. Using his shoulders for leverage, she reached up and kissed him, letting her lips linger just a bit. Hotch tensed and she pulled back slightly, taking in his terrified eyes with amusement. JJ glanced up, causing Hotch to also glance up.

"Mistletoe, Hotch," JJ informed him with a smirk. "They're on all the doors. Clearly, this hotel really goes all out for the holidays."

"Oh," Hotch replied, his voice a curious mixture of relief and disappointment, which did not go unnoticed.

JJ patted his arm. "It's just tradition, Hotch."

Hotch grabbed her arms as she began to pull away. He planted a kiss firmly on her lips, taking the time to feel the shape, relish their softness. JJ gasped in surprise. Hotch smiled as he pulled away, sheepishly offering up only, "Tradition."

"Good night, Hotch," JJ said, biting her lower lip as she turned away.

"Good night."

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Anna inhaled deeply standing out the coffee shop where JJ had asked to meet her. The coffee shop was slightly packed with holiday shoppers. Anna felt her pulse pick up at the crowd and fought the urge to flee. But JJ had sounded near desperate when she called, which both piqued Anna's interest and made her nervous JJ's behalf. Anna took another breath before forcing herself through the door and to the table where JJ waited.

"Hey."

"Anna, hi!" JJ nearly shouted when Anna sat down. "I'm so glad you could meet me."

Anna raised her eyebrows. "Uh, is everything okay, JJ? You seem a little... tense."

"I have a little situation at work."

"Uh, wouldn't someone at work be better for helping with this?" Anna asked her, confused. She took the hot chocolate that JJ had ordered from the waitress with a "thank you" and a smile.

JJ squirmed uncomfortably and absently scratched the back of her head. "It's personal and I can't talk to anyone on the team about it. I don't want them to know. Ugh. I don't want anyone to know. I can't believe this is happening to me."

"JJ, it's just me. What's going on?" Anna's voice held a hint of whimsy over JJ's distress.

"I think I have a crush on Hotch."

Anna blinked at her a few times.

"Well, aren't you going to say something?"

"You think this is news to me?"

"What? You know? How do you know? Who else knows? I can't have people knowing this. Oh, I can't believe this is happening to me." JJ's cheeks tinged pink as panic set in.

"Okay, calm down. Maybe switch to decaf." Anna chuckled a little, but JJ just looked at her with wide eyes. "I spend a lot of time with you guys in a non-professional setting; I've seen it. To my knowledge, no one on your team has picked up on it."

Anna deliberately hid the conversations that she and Reid had had about Hotch and JJ. JJ was alarmed enough. It was true enough that no one else had said anything to her.

JJ groaned. "What am I suppose to do? He's my boss. It's bad enough that he's my friend."

"Did something happen on this last case?" Anna asked, studying JJ. "You've had this crush for a few months now at least, but you've never seemed to be worried about it before. In fact, you seemed to gleefully live in bliss."

"I may have told him that he's my best friend and he may have told me the same." JJ bit her lip, nervously. "And then I may have kissed him under some mistletoe and he may have kissed me back. Stop smiling like that!"

Anna clamped her hand over her mouth to hide her grin. She took in JJ's agony and decided to take pity on her. "It's mistletoe, JJ. It's not a big deal. None of this has to be a big deal if you don't want it to be."

"It doesn't?"

"People have crushes all the time without acting on them."

"I know," JJ, but looked unconvinced.

"You could distance yourself, but I think that would just hurt you, Hotch, and the boys. Just go on the way you have been and everything will sort itself out."

JJ sighed in relief. "I can do that. I just have to avoid mistletoe."

"So, what was it like kissing Hotch anyway?"

"It was like flirting with danger and coming home all in one. I could easily get addicted to it." JJ's blush returned full force. "But I can't. I can't risk our careers. I can't risk our friendship. I can't risk the boys' feelings. I just can't."

"That's a lot of can'ts."

"Sometimes, it feels like my whole life is a series of can'ts."

"JJ-"

"Did you know that Hotch thinks you put Jack up to the Christmas party?" JJ interrupted, her eyes pleading with Anna to let her change the subject.

Anna smiled, trying to cover up her concern. The conversation had given her JJ's fears, if nothing else. "I can't really blame him. That completely sounds like something I would do."

"Sadly, this one is all my fault. See, Jack, Henry, and I..." JJ's voice trailed off when she saw Anna grimace as a man brushed up against her back as he passed their table. "Are you okay?"

Anna nodded, trying to calm her shaking. "It's usually fine. I just didn't see him; wasn't prepared."

"What do you say we get out of here? Go do some shopping? You can help me pick something out for Hotch that says 'I'm your best friend and I may have a crush on you, but I can't do anything about it so here's a nice, platonic gift, bestie.'"

"Oh, that should be easy." Anna and JJ chuckled the entire way out of the coffee shop.

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Anna smiled faintly when she reached the top of the stairs later that same night. Hotch was leaning against Jack's bedroom door frame, watching him sleep. She put a hand gently on his arm to alert him to her presence before standing next to him. Jack was curled tightly in his bed, clutching his dinosaur, but his face was surprisingly calm.

"How'd it go today?"

Hotch sighed, wearily. "Not as bad as I feared. There were some tears and lots of questions."

"Heaven?"

Hotch nodded.

"He's been talking a lot about Heaven lately. How are you holding up?"

"Better than I expected, but I got my feelings out a couple of months ago remember?"

Anna shot him a half smile. "There's always more feelings, Mr. Profiler."

"I miss her." Hotch shrugged. "Even at our worst, I never wished her out of my life. She was a great mom. Jack just adored her. She died for him and he's only going to know her through stories and videos."

"It's more than a lot of kids get. He has you and me and Sean and Jessica and JJ and a million other people who love and adore him."

"I'm not so sure having me as a father is doing him much good."

Anna narrowed her eyes. "You're a great father. You were a good husband."

"I was a terrible husband," Hotch countered, half rolling his eyes.

"For Haley." Anna sighed at the look he shot her. "You were a terrible husband for Haley and Haley was a terrible wife for you."

"Explain," Hotch demanded, keeping his voice low as to not disturb Jack's slumber.

"You and Haley loved each other very much, but you did not see each other, not really. She wanted the version of you that worked a high profile job and came home every day by six. You wanted the version of her that was happy to go days and occasionally weeks without seeing each other. That's not who either of you were." Anna took a deep breath, taking in Hotch's defeated stance. "But you both love Jack more than anything in world. He knows that; he'll always know that."

"Is that enough? Haley made me promise to show him love. How am I going to do that?"

"You show him love every day. Jack knows how much you love him. One day, you are going to fall in love again. This time, you'll know what to look for. You'll fall in love with someone who understands you, who loves you for you, not for the idealized version of you."

Hotch bumped her playfully. "When did you get so smart?"

"I've always been smart, Hotch. You're just finally starting to listen to me." Anna squeezed his arm, lovingly. "I'm heading to bed. We've got to plan that Christmas party, which wasn't my doing, by the way!"

"I know. It was all JJ's fault. Don't worry. I'll help plan it."

"Of course, you will," Anna said, heading down the hall towards her bedroom. "It was JJ's idea."


	8. Of Holiday Parties and Mistletoe

"Merry Christmas, Uncle Spencer!" Jack shouted as he opened the front door.

"Unc' Spence!" Henry added, following Jack to the door. He had been following Jack around all afternoon, much to Jack's enjoyment.

"Dr. Spencer Reid!" Anna popped out behind Jack and gave Reid a hug. "Merry Christmas! I thought you were coming earlier."

"Uh, it took awhile to get through to my mom," Reid explained, shrugging his shoulder. "And she was in a talkative mood."

"Come on in. We're glad you're here."

"Up, Unc' Spence," Henry demanded, lifting his tiny arms to Reid. Reid obligingly picked him and even gave him a quick kiss on his forehead.

"Hey, Spence," JJ said, walking into the living room.

Reid's eyes grew wide, taking in her dress, nearly the color of her eyes. It fit her form to her waist where it flared out. "You look beautiful, JJ."

"Thanks," she replied with a slight blush, smoothing her dress.

"Uncle Spencer, can you help me and Henry hang our missheltoe?" Jack begged, hopping from foot to foot.

"Mistletoe," Anna corrected shooting JJ an apology when she noticed JJ's blush grow more pronounced.

"Did you that kissing under mistletoe was introduced at the Greek festival of Saturnalia and that-"

"Uh, Reid?" JJ interrupted. She pointed to the bewildered looks on Henry and Jack's faces. "Two and five."

"Oh. Right." Reid shrugged it off. "Where would you like to hang the mistletoe?"

"Ummmm," Jack tapped his mouth with his finger. He glanced all around the room before pointing the the doorway between the living room and the dining room. "Over there."

Anna left the room briefly, returning with a stool and a thumbtack that she handed to Reid. He stood on the footstool with Jack and Henry underfoot. Jack was giving him instruction on where to place the mistletoe, much to Anna and JJ's amusement.

"What are you doing?" Hotch demanded, coming down the stairs. Reid nearly dropped the mistletoe, startled.

"We're hanging missheltoe, Daddy," Jack explained.

"Take it down."

"But, Daddy-"

"Take it down," Hotch repeated more forcefully.

"Hotch, it's just for fun," Anna protested.

"Hotch," JJ whispered, placing her hand on his arm. "It means a lot to Jack."

Hotch sighed, looking at Jack's crestfallen face. "Fine."

Reid resumed placing the mistletoe on the doorway while Hotch shook off his worry with an apology to Jack. The mistletoe provided quite a bit of entertainment as the party raged on. First, Garcia and Reid were caught underneath it, resulting in Reid sporting Garcia's lip prints on his cheek. Next, Anna and Rossi were caught. There was a collective "aw" when Rossi fatherly kissed the top of Anna's head. Reid was busted with the pretty, single blond from down the street and again with her brunette roommate. He flushed to his roots both times, but got each of their numbers..

Prentiss was trapped by the doctor who lived next door, but didn't protest when he slipped her a little tongue. Garcia and Morgan were caught twice. The first time, Morgan placed a chaste kiss on her cheek, causing Anna to jokingly call out his manhood. The second time, he gave her a kiss that caused Kevin to bristle. To distract Kevin, Anna dragged him under the mistletoe with a kiss of her own. He stuttered for nearly a full minute afterward, much to Garcia's delight.

Anna was nearly caught with the neighbor across the street, Paul, but sensing her discomfort at having him near her, Prentiss elbowed her way under the mistletoe to stand with Anna. Prentiss gasped in surprise when Anna ran her tongue teasingly against her lips during their kiss. Several of the male party-goers spent a lot of their time and energy trying to get Anna and Prentiss back under the mistletoe after that. Jack and Henry received kisses from almost all of the females at the party.

As the party inched towards Jack's bedtime, it seemed that everyone had been caught underneath the mistletoe except either Hotch or JJ. Anna had no doubt that was by design. She and JJ were talking near the stairs when Prentiss nearly tripped while carrying a plate of food in one hand and a drink in the other. Hotch leapt forward to help her, not realizing they were both in the doorway.

"Ooh! Someone finally caught Hotch under the mistletoe!" Garcia squealed. She was several strong drinks into her evening. "Good job, Emily."

Prentiss cringed as she looked up. She started to sneak away, but Garcia's boisterous announcement made them the focal point of the party. Hotch glanced around the living room. Garcia and Morgan were smiling at him, waiting for him to kiss Prentiss. Reid's expression was merely intrigued while Anna bit her bottom lip. He caught JJ's eye and she gave him a small smile, her eyes shining gleefully.

Hotch took a deep breath and leaned in to kiss Prentiss' cheek, only to pull back suddenly when Jack erupted in screams.

"No! No, no, no! Daddy isn't supposed to kiss Miss Emily! He's only supposed to-" Jack cut off his shrieks abruptly by storming up the stairs.

"I got it," Anna said forcefully, stopping Hotch's forward movement. Anna followed Jack to his room. She found him on his bed, trying desperately not to cry. As Anna pulled him into her arms, he released his sobs. She rocked him gently, rubbing his back until he calmed down.

"Do you want to tell me what that was all about?" Anna asked him, gently.

"I don't want to Daddy to kiss Miss Emily. I don't want her to be my new mommy," Jack sniffed.

"New mommy? Jack, what are you talking about?"

"If you kiss under missheltoe, then you fall in love and become a family." Jack rolled his eyes. "Everyone knows that."

Anna sighed. "We really need to monitor what you're watching on TV. First of all, mistletoe's just for fun. It can't make you fall in love."

"It can't?"

"No, sweetie. Jack, you have a family. You have your daddy, and Aunt Jessica, and me. You have Uncle Sean, and Uncle Dave, and Uncle Spencer. And you have Miss Emily, and Mr. Derek, Miss Penelope and Mr. Kevin. You have JJ and Henry. We all love you."

"It's not the same." Jack took a shaky breath. "I miss my mommy."

Anna pulled him tight again. "I know you do."

"I want my daddy to be happy again. I want to be a family with a daddy AND a mommy. But, I don't want Miss Emily to be my mommy. She's nice, but..."

"Jack," Anna said, slowly, "someday, your dad might find somebody that he wants to bring into your lives. Your daddy will make sure that she is the best person for both of you. She will love you so much. But, you can't control that. Grown-ups can't be forced to love each other."

"But my daddy already loves-"

"Who?"

"My JJ," Jack whispered. "I want my JJ to be my new mommy. It's why I put the missheltoe up. Daddy was supposed to kiss JJ and they were supposed to fall in love and we were supposed to be a family."

"It's very sweet, but... Do you remember when you were at Michael's house and Michael's mom made you guys play with Jeffrey?"

"Yeah, I didn't want to. Jeffrey's weird."

"It's kind of the same thing. Nobody likes to be told who they have to be with. You have to let Daddy decide who he wants to fall in love with. Do you understand?"

Jack nodded against her shoulder. He pulled back to look at her, his tears finally drying. "Anna, do you think I hurt Miss Emily's feelings?"

"I think she was surprised, but she'll be okay. I bet an apology and a hug from you would make her feel a lot better."

"Okay." Jack let Anna lead him down the stairs, back to the party. He ran over to Prentiss with an apology and a hug.

Anna glanced around the room, unsurprised to see that many of the non-BAU guests had left after Jack's outburst. She went and stood next to JJ. The two of them watched Jack, Hotch, and Prentiss.

"Everything okay?" JJ asked. A flash of jealousy rose in her eyes that she quickly squashed when Hotch smiled at Prentiss during Jack's hug. It did not go unnoticed by Anna.

"Yeah, just some residual Haley stuff. Jack was convinced that if his dad kissed someone under the mistletoe, then he would fall in love and Jack would have a mommy again."

"I guess he didn't want Emily to be his new mom."

"Not so much."

JJ slid her eyes to Anna sideways. "Who did he plan on Hotch kissing?"

Anna gave her a pointed look, but didn't respond verbally. JJ bit her bottom lip before noticing that Henry was tiredly bouncing his body between Reid and Garcia. "I should probably get Henry up to bed."

Anna chuckled as JJ hurried away. She grabbed a few empty cups as she made her way to the kitchen to refill low food. Anna glanced over her shoulder when she heard the kitchen door close. She was kneeling in front of one of the cupboards, searching for an extra bag of chips. "Hey."

"Hey," Morgan replied, nonchalantly.

Anna grabbed the bag of chips and stood, only to find Morgan directly behind her. He put his hands on her hips, nuzzled his nose behind her ear. His breath warmed her neck, causing Anna to blush slightly.

"Whatcha' doin' there, cowboy?" Anna asked him.

"Cowboy?" he chuckled. He nip her earlobe before kissing down her neck. Anna's eyes fluttered closed. "I haven't gotten to spend any time with you tonight."

"So, you decided to maul me in the kitchen with everyone in the next room?"

"Maul? Nah. Just a little scratch, a little taste." Morgan released her hips suddenly. He spun her around and lifted her onto the counter in a single fluid move. Anna bit her bottom lip, smiling seductively. Morgan tucked a piece of her red, curly hair behind her ear and let his hand fall behind her neck, running small circles over her pulse point. He matched her grin when he felt her pulse pick up. Anna ran her hands up his chest, taking the time to feel the muscles underneath. She grasped his shoulders to draw him forward, wrapping her legs around him to keep him close.

Anna nipped him where his shoulder met his neck then ran her tongue over the spot to soothe it. She smiled against his neck when he gasped. Morgan pulled back from her slightly, his eyes shining in amusement. "Just who is mauling who?"

She gave him a quick, chaste kiss, slipping her hands under his shirt to feel the muscles on his back. Anna followed up with three more simple kisses. Only after the fourth kiss did he follow her lips, slipping his tongue to intertwine with hers. Anna coaxed him into whimpers when she sucked on his tongue. He thrust towards her, acting only on instinct. Morgan tangled his hands in her hair, angling her head to deepen their kiss.

"Oh my God!" Prentiss exclaimed suddenly from behind them. She dropped the cup she'd been carrying as Garcia let out a wolf whistle.

Anna disengaged her tongue from Morgan's. She moved her head around Morgan's and smirked at them. "Hey, ladies. Having a good time?"

"Apparently, not as good you," Prentiss countered. Morgan laid his forehead on Anna's shoulder, waves of laughter shaking his entire body.

"I'm pretty sure I can find you a make-out partner if you'd like," Anna offered. "Other than me, of course. I believe Dave was staring at your ass earlier."

Garcia and Anna both cracked up at the look of horror on Prentiss' face. Garcia stilled suddenly. "Okay, lovebirds, you might want to break this up. I'm pretty sure the boss man is coming."

"Are you going to let me go?" Morgan asked Anna when she made no movement to detach her legs. Anna shook her head, mischievously. "If he finds us like this, he is going to kill me."

"Wuss," Anna muttered, playfully. She released her legs, but grabbed him around his waist as soon as he turned around. She laid her cheek against his back, holding him tight. Feeling the difference in this movement, her reluctance to let him go, he covered her hands with his.

"What's going on in here?" Hotch asked, suspiciously, entering the kitchen. Prentiss, Garcia, and Morgan all refused to look him in the eye.

Anna poked her head up. "Oh, we were just debating whom to invite to our orgy next weekend."

Hotch closed his eyes in annoyance and huffed. "Jack and Henry are in bed. They're asking for you."

"I'll be back." Anna jumped down from the counter and headed up to Jack's room. She stood outside the door unnoticed for a few minutes listening to Jack tell Henry his version of "The Grinch." When his story came to an end, Anna entered the room. She sat down on the end of Jack's bed. Jack and Henry were cuddled together, both in Christmas pajamas. Henry was clutching the stuffed lion he got from their visit to the zoo.

"So, guys, did you have a good time?" Anna asked them, ruffling each of their heads. Henry nodded in agreement.

"It was so much fun! I want to do this every year," Jack told her, enthusiastically.

"You're going to have to convince your daddy on that one. What was your favorite part of Christmas?"

"My truck," Henry yawned, his eyelids drooping.

"The party." Jack paused. "Anna, do you think I could make a Christmas wish for next year?"

"Yes, but Jack, I want you to understand that whatever it is that you wish for, it may not come true. The answer to your wish may be no."

Jack frowned and sighed, but replied, "I know. I still want to make the wish."

"Okay. Good night, HJ."

"Good night." He smiled when she kissed his forehead. Anna kissed Henry's forehead, too, but he was already fast asleep. Anna waited a few more moments for Jack's breaths to even out before leaving the room. Returning to the living room, she found only the BAU team remained. Boldly, she sat on Morgan's lap as he sat in one of the dining room chairs that someone brought in. "The boys are asleep."

"Anyone want to play a game?" Garcia asked, pulling a deck of cards from her bag.

JJ eyed her warily. "What kind of game?"

"Strip poker?" Morgan joked.

Anna hit him in the shoulder. "Ew! My brothers are here."

"Let's play Spin the Bottle!" Garcia clapped.

Rossi chuckled, taking a sip of scotch. "I think the mistletoe caused enough issues already."

"He has a point, sweetie," Kevin agreed, rubbing Garcia's shoulder in apology.

"We could play High-Low," Reid suggested, quietly.

The room stilled. JJ leaned forward. "You know High-Low?"

"How do you know High-Low?" Prentiss added.

"Aw, has big sister been teaching you drinking games?" Morgan teased.

"Shut up," Reid mumbled while Anna poked Morgan in the rib.

Rossi cleared his throat. "What exactly is 'High-Low?'"

"It's a simple game, but it's easy to get really, really drunk on that game," JJ warned.

Hotch picked up after her. "So, whoever plays has to stay the night. We've got plenty of sleeping bags and even an air mattress, I think."

"We're in," Garcia spoke for herself and Kevin.

"Hell, I've got nowhere to be," Rossi agreed. "I'm in, too."

After that, it was a mad scramble of people to cars to grab to-go bags and to bedrooms and bathrooms to change into pajamas.

"Wait," JJ groaned as they settled around the coffee table. She looked at Hotch. "One of us is going to have to stay sober for the boys."

"Don't worry," Anna reassured them, subtly running her finger over the blue stripes in Morgan's pajama pants. "I'll get up with the boys. I won't play. I'll deal."

"I'll start," Reid offered. That was the last clear memory he, and several other team members, had of the night.

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JJ sighed for the third time in less than ten minutes. Even in her drunken state, she was unable to block out the snores coming from the couch where Rossi lay sleeping. JJ propped her head on her elbow and blearily glanced around the darken living room. Someone, probably Anna, had pushed the coffee table against the wall to allow more room for those on the floor to stretch out. Kevin and Garcia had commandeered the air mattress and were off to the side, cuddled close together. Anna and Morgan lay in the middle of the floor, each in their own sleeping bags. Morgan's hand was protectively on her back, but he made no other contact. Reid and Prentiss had elected to share the other couch. Prentiss had her face turned decidedly away from Reid's feet, a near disgusted look on her face even in her deep slumber.

JJ turned when she heard a sigh behind her. Hotch was trying unsuccessfully to get comfortable on the floor. JJ tapped him gently on the arm to get his attention. "Hey. Come with me."

"Where we goin'?" Hotch slurred, starting to rise from the floor.

"Just come on." JJ grabbed his arm and dragged him up the stairs, missing Anna and Reid raising their heads. They smiled at each other briefly before laying back down.

JJ led Hotch down the hallway to his room. She pulled him inside, shutting the door behind them. She got into his bed and tugged on his arm to encourage him to follow.

"What are you doin'?" Hotch asked her, confused.

JJ yawned, tugging on him harder. "I'm tired; you're tired. Neither of us are getting any sleep downstairs and there's a perfectly good bed going to waste and I am just drunk enough to not care that I'm sharing a bed with my boss."

"Okay," Hotch agreed, crawling in bed with her. They lay towards each other, their faces only inches apart.

"Do you think we have to worry about the boys coming in here in the morning?"

"No. Anna will be up the minute Jack is. He looks for her first in the morning anyway in case I'm not here."

JJ scooted closer to him. "Then, hold me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"But-"

"Hotch, don't question it. Just hold me; just tonight." JJ sighed blissfully when he pulled her in his arms and turned her over. He molded around her back, intertwining his legs with hers. She could smell the scent the shampoo in his hair, the cologne on his neck, the scotch in his mouth, and the essence that was just Hotch.

"What about the team?" Hotch rumbled in her ear after they settled.

"I don't care," JJ answered, flippantly. She held his hands tighter to her stomach. "They can find their own cuddle buddies."

That caused them both to burst into giggles as the alcohol haze loomed once again. "Is that what I am? Your cuddle buddy?"

"Hotch? Go to sleep. We're too drunk to have this conversation."

"Or not drunk enough."

"Exactly. Go to sleep."

Hotch leaned down and placed a wet kiss on her neck. She gasped in both surprise and titillation. "Good night, JJ. You look beautiful tonight."

JJ's eyes flew open. She whispered his name, but only received a soft snore in response. JJ smiled sheepishly as she drifted off into sleep.

She awoke several hours later after hearing a door open. The noise was followed by the sound of footsteps carefully, but hurriedly dashing up the stairs. She tensed when she heard Anna's voice talking to Jack and Henry, but relaxed again when Anna convinced them to quietly help her make breakfast in the kitchen.

"I suppose we should get up soon," Hotch commented, alerting her to his consciousness for the first time. JJ lifted her head. She and Hotch had shifted in the night so that he was laying on his back and she was laying half on him. Her hand was just under the waistband of his pajama pants. He had one hand on her back, under her shirt, and another on her arm. She looked into his eyes.

"Hotch..." JJ let her voice drift as she realized she had no idea how she was going to finish that statement.

Hotch tenderly kissed her forehead in reassurance. "I'm going to hop in the shower."

JJ watched as Hotch made his way into his bathroom. She buried her face in his pillow, breathing him in deeply. She replayed last night in her head; from her agreeing to come over hours earlier to help Hotch set up to her jealousy over Hotch's near kiss with Prentiss to dragging him upstairs to his bed. The feel of his lips on her skin was the last thing she thought of before drifting off to sleep once again.

By the time Hotch left his cool shower, JJ was once again fast asleep. He left her there and traveled downstairs. Walking through the living room, he found Rossi, Garcia, Kevin, and Morgan still asleep. He wandered into the kitchen where Anna had both boys on the counter helping her stir pancake batter. Prentiss and Reid were sitting at the kitchen table with coffee cups in front of them. Prentiss looked like death warmed over, but Reid looked fresh faced.

"Morning," Hotch commented, receiving enthusiastic responses from Jack and Henry, a miserable response from Prentiss, and conventional responses from Anna and Reid.

"Where did you and JJ disappear to last night?" Prentiss asked, rubbing her forehead.

Hotch froze at the coffee pot, his brain sputtering to a halt. Anna glanced at him and then Reid before answering, "He slept in my room last night. JJ took over his bed."

"Oh, I should have crawled into bed with JJ," Prentiss replied. "I think the couch killed my back."

"Could have been the couch. Or it could have been when you were trying to show us that you could still cartwheel and fell on your butt."

"I did what?" Prentiss groaned. "High-Low is not a nice game."

"I thought it was tons of fun," Reid chirped in. "Did anyone else hear Garcia and Kevin in the middle of the night?"

"Yeah, I was about five minutes from throwing water on the two of them to get them to shut up," Anna replied. "And I wasn't even drinking!"

"What were they doing?" Jack asked.

Anna tickled him. "They were being all mushy-mushy."

"Yuck."

"Yuck," Henry agreed.

"What's yuck?" Garcia asked, walking into the kitchen. Half her hair was sticking straight up.

"You and Kevin last night," Prentiss informed her.

Garcia sat down at the table between Prentiss and Reid. "I can't help it. Whenever we start to cuddle, it just comes out."

"I'm just glad Anna and Morgan didn't start, too."

Anna shudder. "I am so not a cuddler."

"I thought we were cuddle buddies," Jack told her, causing Hotch to choke on his coffee.

Anna shot Hotch a curious look. "I only cuddle with my two guys here."

"Who are you cuddling with?" Morgan stumbled into the kitchen, running his hand over his face. He took the last seat at the table.

"Me and Henry!" Jack answered.

"Don't worry, Sweet Cheeks," Garcia told Morgan seeing the disappointment in his eyes. "I'll cuddle with you anytime."

"I'm pretty sure I have a memory of you saying that last night."

Anna giggled. "Yeah, followed by her attempts to cuddle with you and Kevin's attempts to have her not cuddle with you. That's when the coffee table got pushed against the wall."

"I have no memory of this," Prentiss piped up. "Why do I have no memory of this?"

"Because you and Spencer were already passed out on the couch." Anna took the bowl of pancake batter from the boys. "You people are too much fun to drink with!"

Rossi stormed into the kitchen, holding a phone in front of him. "Somebody's phone is buzzing under my head."

"Sorry, that's mine," Anna told him, instantly tensing. "Hotch, can you take over here?"

Hotch nodded, taking over Anna's place in front of the counter. They all watched Anna curiously as she hustled out of the kitchen and into the dining room. Hotch shrugged when all eyes turned to him. He didn't know anymore than them.

"Hello?" Anna said into the phone, her voice barely above a whisper. "Because I don't have anything to say to you. I think we passed that a long time ago. Like when you called in September to see how I was? Oh, that's right. You just wanted to make sure I kept your name out of it. Please stop calling; I don't want to hear from you. Of course, I'll be there. I've never missed one. Good-bye."

"Everything okay?" JJ asked, entering the dining room as Anna slammed the phone on the table.

Anna nodded unconvincingly. She shook her head, put a smile on her face, and loop her arm in JJ's. "Just an FYI, I told everyone that Hotch slept in my bed last night. But I'm going to totally need details later."

Anna dragged a stunned JJ into the kitchen where a raging debate over New Year's Eve had begun.


	9. Of Snowy Roads and Whispered Promises

Anna sighed as the credits appeared on the television screen. She cracked her neck after having been in the same position with Morgan for the last two hours. Anna patted his leg as she stood from his couch.

"It's time for me to head home."

Morgan grabbed her hand. "Why don't you stay here tonight?"

Anna smiled. "You know I can't."

"I know you won't."

"Jack-"

"Hotch is there for Jack."

Anna checked, releasing Morgan's hand. "You know that Jack-"

"-looks for you in the morning," Morgan finished, his voice growing irritating. "I know. I also know that his father is there and Jack will be fine. You and I hardly spend any time together."

"We spent all day together."

Morgan rose from the couch and squared off from her. "No. You, me, and Reid spent all day together."

Anna pursed her lips. All of her anger seemed to channel into her arms as she waved them around. "It's his first date in how long? He was terrified and needed help getting ready. What was I supposed to do? He's my brother."

"He's not your brother!"

"He is my brother!"

"No! He's just some kid that you felt sorry for and decided he needed your help!" Morgan took a deep breath to calm himself. "I'm tired of always coming in last with you. I'm tired of feeling like you don't want to spend any time with me."

"That's not true."

"It's how I feel. I only ever get what's leftover after you've taken care of everyone else."

"I have a lot of responsibilities. I-" Anna was cut off when Morgan's phone chirped loudly.

He grabbed it from the coffee table with a huff. "It's work. We're being called in on a case."

Anna jerked her chin, but said nothing. She grabbed her keys and jacket before storming out the front door. Morgan picked up a pillow from the couch and threw it across the room. He sighed heavily, then went to his bedroom to grab his bag.

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"Anna! Anna! Anna!" Henry chanted when Anna opened the door to Will and Henry.

"Henry!" she replied as he fell into her arms.

"Sorry about that," Will apologized. He smiled when Anna waved him off.

"Motch?" Henry inquired while Anna took off his coat, gloves, and hat.

"Mr. Hotch isn't here," Anna told.

Will placed his hand on Henry's head. "He's working with Mama."

"Oh," Henry said, sadly. He brightened again when he saw Jack run into the room. "Jack! Jack! Jack!"

"Henry! Let's play with my cars!" Jack offered, grabbing Henry by the hand and leading him into the living room.

Will turned to Anna with a shrug. "He's in a bit of a chanting stage. He has to say everyone's name three times."

"Just wait 'til you get to the rhyming stage. I was 'Anna-Banana' for a month."

"Looking forward to it. Thanks for doing this. I appreciate it."

"I'm the one who should be thanking you. Jack's been going stir crazy in here. Today's the first day it's been warm enough to play outside. Henry's the perfect distraction. Jack loves playing 'big brother.'"

Will smile widened. "I have just a few errands to run. I shouldn't be more than two hours."

"Go. Enjoy your errands. We'll do lunch when you get back."

"Sounds good. Hey, we're still on for dinner tomorrow, right?"

"Oh, absolutely. Penelope is dying to meet Holly. I think she'll strap on snowshoes to get to the restaurant if she has to."

"Okay, okay. Actually, Holly's looking forward to meeting her, too. I better get going. 'Bye, Henry!" Will waited a few moments for Henry to respond, but heard nothing. Will and Anna both chuckled as Will left the house.

The boys grew tired of playing cars after twenty minutes. They spent the hour after that in the backyard attempting to build a snowman. Anna bundled them up in blankets on the couch drinking hot chocolate and watching a movie. At twelve-thirty, she was making them lunch and calling Will. It went straight to voicemail. Anna put Henry down for a nap right after lunch and made another call that went to voicemail. She entertained Jack quietly downstairs while Henry slept, trying not to panic that Will was hours late.

Henry awoke nearly two hours later, wet and looking for his dad. Anna changed him and Jack made him smile by singing him silly songs. Realizing she was out of diapers, Anna once again bundled the kids up and ran them to Will and JJ's, again calling Will and leaving a message on his voicemail.

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"Penelope?" Anna asked, shakily, standing in front of Garcia's uncharacteristically opened office door.

"Hey, there, sugar plum," Garcia replied, sweetly. She turned from the computer. "What are you doing here? The gang's not back yet."

Anna stood there, trembling, afraid to speak. Her skin was pale and clammy.

"Where's Jack?" Garcia asked, her eyes growing wide with concern as she took in Anna's appearance.

"Jack and Henry are with a neighbor. They're fine." Anna's voice sounded far away, like how Prentiss described the tone she used to describe her time in the cabin.

"Henry? Where's Will? What's going on?" Garcia stood up when Anna hesitated. "You have to talk to me!"

"Will showed up at the house this morning. He asked me to watch Henry for a couple of hours while he ran some errands. We were supposed to do lunch. He missed it; missed Henry's nap, too. He was gone so long that I ran out of diapers for Henry. We ran to JJ's to grab some more when there was a knock at the door."

"Who was at the door?" Garcia asked, fearfully.

"The State Police. They were looking for JJ."

"Her phone was smashed on the case," Garcia said, absently, her mind racing.

Anna's face crumbled. "There was a car accident."

"Is Will okay? Is he in the hospital?"

Anna shook her head. "He's gone."

"Gone?" Garcia's heart sank. "Gone where?"

Anna just looked her, tears now streaming down her face. "He's dead. I have- I have to tell JJ. How do I tell her this? How do I not?"

"I'm coming with you. We'll go to the airport. We'll meet them there."

"He's gone! He's gone! Oh, God, how can he be gone?" Anna covered her face with her hands and sank to the floor. Heaving sobs overtook her entire body as Garcia knelt down to hold her. "He was only suppose to be gone for two hours. How can he be gone?"

Garcia rubbed her back, whispering, "I don't know. It'll be okay. It'll be okay."

"We were suppose to have lunch. We're suppose to meet Holly. Oh, God, Holly. I have to tell her."

"We'll figure it. I promise, sweetie, we'll figure it out."

The two of the stayed like that until Garcia's knees began to complain. She urged Anna to stand up, wiping the tears from Anna's face and her own. Garcia offered Anna a small smile as she saw Anna begin to shut down, distance herself.

"Come on," Garcia told her, firmly gripping her hand. "Let's go meet the plane."

Anna and Garcia stood stoically by the fence at the airport, watching as the plane landed and the occupants disembarked. Garcia had called in a few favors on the way to the airport to get them on the tarmac. Anna grabbed Garcia's hand tightly when the first figure stepped off the bottom step, the need for human contact outweighing the need for distance.

"Well, this is a nice surprise," Morgan said as the team approached. "Our own welcoming committee."

Morgan stopped when he saw Garcia shake her head slightly to stop his movement towards Anna. Anna briefly close her eyes, unable to look any of them directly.

"JJ, I need to talk to you," Anna said, finally releasing Garcia.

"Okay," JJ replied, confused, but let Anna lead her away.

Hotch focused on Anna and JJ, but asked, "Garcia, what's going on?"

"Well, you see," Garcia stuttered, unprepared to be the one to tell the news, but was interrupted by JJ screaming, "No!"

"Hotch!" Anna shouted as JJ began to fall. Hotch raced forward, catching JJ seconds before she hit the ground.

"It's Will," Garcia told Prentiss, Morgan, Reid, and Rossi as they watched JJ crumble in Hotch's arms. "There was a car accident, ice on the road. Will was dead before the first ambulance even got there."

"Oh, man," Morgan breathed out, bouncing on the balls of his feet as if unsure whether he should move towards the other group or remain where he was.

Prentiss touched Garcia's arm. "Are they sure?"

"They're waiting on JJ to make a positive ID, but yeah, they're sure. It was his car, his wallet." Garcia bit her bottom lip as they watched Hotch pull JJ into his arms and carry her towards the car. JJ's buried her head in Hotch's shoulder. Anna walked slowly behind them as if a weight was pulling her down.

"Poor JJ. Poor Henry."

Garcia grabbed Prentiss' hand as Anna had grabbed hers earlier. "They'll be okay. We'll get them through it. They have to be okay."

"They will be," Morgan assured her, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Garcia?" Reid asked, almost timidly. "How was Anna?"

Garcia grimaced. "Distant, at first, like she was far away. Then, she broke down in tears. She pulled herself together by the time we got here."

"Come on. Let's go take care of JJ."

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JJ woke up sluggishly, trying to remember why she felt as if she had been hit by a train. She kept her eyes closed, not wanting to see the sunlight. JJ rolled onto her stomach, burying her head into her pillow. She breathed in deeply and tensed, recognizing the scent that wasn't her own.

"Oh God!" JJ groaned, bile rising her throat as the previous day came rushing back to her. Getting off the plane. Anna and Garcia meeting them. Anna giving her the news about Will. Will. Oh, God, Will! How was she going to tell Henry?

JJ took a shaky breath to calm herself down. It would do no good to fall apart, not when her son needed her. She opened her eyes finally to see that she was indeed in Hotch's bedroom. JJ tried to think back to how she had gotten there. She remembered crying in Hotch's arms at the airport, remembered him carrying her to the car. There were only flashes of the car ride; someone, probably Garcia, had been whispering reassuringly in her ear. She remembered Hotch carrying her into his house, up to his room, as she was near non-responsive with shock.

There was a knock on the door and JJ sat up. Anna walked cautiously into the room, carrying a coffee cup. She gingerly put the cup on the nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed.

"How'd you sleep?" Anna asked her.

JJ brushed the hair from her face. "I don't remember any of it so I guess I slept like a rock. Where's Henry?"

"He and Jack are forcing Hotch to be a racetrack for their cars. He's sprawled out on the living room floor while they run their cars all over him." Anna paused. "Henry doesn't know anything."

"How am I supposed to tell him? He loves his daddy. What am I going to do about work? Who am I going to leave Henry with? What am I going to do if I can't go back to the BAU?"

"JJ! One step at a time. We'll figure it out. Penelope brought a bag for you last night. Why don't you take a shower; get dressed. She'll be here soon."

JJ glanced away briefly. "Okay."

Anna was sitting on the couch, staring faraway when JJ walked down the stairs, hair still damp. Hotch was still on the floor with the boys, though they had switched from playing cars to playing superheroes. JJ paused on the bottom step, watching her son giggle, his eyes sparkling. Her heart broke thinking that this may be the last time her son had an innocent childhood.

JJ locked her gaze with Hotch's when he noticed her on the stairs, silently asking him to stay while she talked with Henry. Hotch tapped gently on Anna's foot. Anna glanced at JJ before standing up.

"Come on, HJ," she said, taking Jack's hand. "Let's go straighten your room."

Jack went with her without complaint, sensing the tension in the adults. JJ held her hands out to Henry and he ran into them giggling. She sat the two of them on the couch. Hotch sat on the coffee table in front of them.

"Henry, do you know how much your daddy loves you?" JJ asked him, gently.

"More than all the stars in the sky," he replied, but in his baby voice it sounded more like "mo' den all da stars inda sky."

JJ kissed his temple. "That's right. Do you know how much I love you?"

"More than all the fish in the ocean." ("mo' den all da 'ish inda oshean")

"Nothing with ever, ever change that." Hotch placed his hand on JJ's knee as she began to stumble. She smiled appreciatively at him. "Henry, your daddy was in a car accident yesterday. He got hurt really badly and-"

JJ broke off suddenly, a tear rolling down her cheek. Henry patted her cheek, lovingly. "No cry, Momma."

"Henry, your daddy died."

Henry looked at her with big, blue eyes, studying the sorrow in her face. After a few minutes, he sighed, "Momma? "'ancakes?"

JJ chuckled slightly through her tears. She kissed him on his forehead. "I'll make you some pancakes."

"Yum," Henry climbed down and went back to the cars on the floor.

Hotch squeezed JJ's leg. "He just doesn't understand right now. His grief will come later."

"I know," she sighed, standing from the couch. "I'm going to make breakfast."

"I'm going to go talk to Jack. If you need anything..."

"I know, Hotch. Thank you." JJ reached down and kissed the top of Hotch's head before gathering Henry and his cars up to go into the kitchen.

Hotch waited a few minutes before standing himself, trying to think of a way to help JJ and Henry, but coming with nothing concrete. He walked heavily up the stairs and into Jack's room. Jack was sitting on Anna's lap in his bed. They were quietly reading a book. Hotch grimaced at the serious look on Jack's face. He nodded at Anna, who kissed the back of Jack's head before getting up from the bed.

"I'll be downstairs if you need me," Anna offered before hurrying out of the room.

"Daddy?" Jack asked, timidly. He fiddled with the edge of the book he and Anna had been reading. "Did something happen to Mr. Will?"

Hotch blinked, taken aback. "Why do you ask?"

"Because Mr. Will was supposed to come here for lunch yesterday and he never did. Then, Anna got sad and quiet after the policemen showed up at Henry's house. And Henry and JJ stayed here last night and everyone's really sad and crying."

Hotch took a shaky breath, both proud of his son's observations and heartbroken over them. "Mr. Will was in a car accident yesterday and he died."

"Like my mommy?" Jack's eyes filled with tears as Hotch nodded. "Do you think Mommy and Mr. Will are in heaven together?"

"What do you think?" Hotch asked him, gathering Jack in his arms for a tight hug.

"I think they are."

"I think so, too."

Hotch carried Jack downstairs several minutes later. Jack seemed unwilling to let his dad go and Hotch found himself reluctant, too. They reached the bottom of the stairs at the same time that Anna was letting Garcia into the house. Garcia hugged Anna, then Hotch and Jack.

"How are my angel babies?"

"Henry doesn't really understand what's going on," Hotch told her, "and JJ's treading water right now. She slept from the time we got here last night until this morning. She's making Henry pancakes right now."

"Ooh, pancakes!" Jack exclaimed.

"Let's go see what we can do to help." Garcia led Jack into the kitchen.

"How are you holding up?" Anna and Hotch asked each other at the same time and then both smirked.

"I'm holding my own," Anna reassured him.

Hotch eyed her critically. "What are you living for?"

"I have to be there for the funeral. I have to say good-bye."

"Okay." Hotch nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer. "I'm doing okay, too."

Anna also nodded before walking into the kitchen. JJ made pancakes for all of them, which she only ate after stern looks from Garcia and Hotch. She, Garcia, and Hotch headed for the funeral home afterward, while Anna took the boys to JJ's to meet Prentiss and Reid so that there would be someone at the house for greet well-wishers.

By the time JJ, Hotch, and Garcia made it back to JJ's house, there was a small gathering of neighbors and cops milling about, eating the small collection of food that gathered in the kitchen. JJ plastered her "reporter smile" onto her face and made sure to thank each person for coming. As she neared the end of people to thanks, Hotch noticed tension building in her shoulders. He snatched her with a quick nod to Anna to take care of things and maneuvered JJ into her bedroom, shutting the door behind them.

"Thanks," JJ told him. "There's phone calls that I need to make. My mother, my father..."

"Did Will have any family?" he asked as her voice trailed off, trying to recall if the Louisianian had ever mentioned anyone outside his deceased father.

"No, he didn't have any family. It's why Henry was so important to him." JJ ran her hands over her face. "I should have let him go sooner. Maybe he could have had a family, real family, with a wife and kids, a dog and a white picnic fence."

"JJ-"

"I know," she repeated from earlier. "It's not going to do any good. And I have to call my mother. She'll pick up any self-doubt in my voice and hit me in the head with it."

Hotch watched as JJ flopped onto her bed, his heart breaking for what she was going through. He stood in front of her, placing his hands on her shoulders to focus her. "Just tell me how I can help."

"Will you... will you... hold me for just a minute?" JJ asked, her voice meek, refusing to look him in the eye. Hotch tucked a stray hair behind her ear before sitting down beside her. He removed his jacket and drew her into his arms, shifting until they were both laying on the bed. JJ curled her fingers tightly around his waist, burying her her head into his chest. "Thank you."

The house still contained neighbors and cops when Hotch traipsed downstairs nearly a half hour later, though they were fewer in numbers. He left JJ alone to make her phone calls while he went to check on everything. He found Reid restocking food while Garcia refilled drinks, Prentiss made small talk, and Rossi surreptitiously cleaned up discarded plates, cups, and napkins.

"Where's Anna?" Hotch asked Reid and Garcia.

"In the kitchen," Garcia told him.

"She put us all to work," Reid told him, sighing.

"She does that." Hotch patted him on the shoulder before heading towards the kitchen. He hovered in the doorway out of sight when he heard Anna and Morgan talking.

"I don't have the time or the energy to deal with this right now," Anna told Morgan. She was leaning over the kitchen island, her hand rubbing her forehead. "I'm sorry if that's difficult for you to understand. I'm sorry if I'm not the person-"

"Anna," Morgan interrupted, "I just want to know how you are; want to see if I can help."

"You really want to help me? Then, let me continue to do what I'm doing, just let me be. If you want to help, help Emily make small talk out there."

Morgan sighed, but nodded. "I'm here when you want to talk."

He passed Hotch on the way to the living room without giving him a glance. Hotch stepped into the kitchen and stood on the other side of the island. He waited for her to speak.

"I don't want to talk about it," Anna said, definitively. "How's JJ?"

"Talking with her mother."

"That's going to go over real well. How are you holding up? I know this has to be bringing up lots of stuff for you."

"I'm holding my own." Hotch repeated her words from earlier. "I'm just worried about JJ."

"Listen, Hotch, I think we should stay here tonight. I think JJ's going to need the help. Penelope is going to stay with her, too, but you're the one she's going to reach for, the one she's already reached for. And I want to be here for Henry."

Hotch gave her a small smile. "I'll run to the house later and grab stuff for the three of us, as long as it's okay with JJ. Now, could you do me a favor and help me find stuff to make tea?"

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Three days later, JJ sat in a chair at the cemetery, staring wordlessly at the dark cherry coffin that contained the body of her son's father. Her mother, Betsy, sat to her right, holding Henry on her lap. Henry didn't understand what was going on, but he knew from the looks on everyone's faces that he should be quiet. Garcia sat to JJ's left, griping tightly to her arm. JJ was grateful for that; it stopped her from floating away, but she couldn't quite make herself reach back for Garcia. Behind them stood Morgan, Hotch, Reid, and Rossi, building a wall around her as if to protect her.

Prentiss and Anna stood side-by-side on the other side of the coffin. Prentiss was speaking, but JJ wasn't listening to her words. She knew that Prentiss was talking of Will's life, of their son, of her, as she had asked her to do. Inside her own head, JJ was reliving memories of the same. She had loved Will, had been in love with him at some point; she was sure of that. She loved him still as Henry's father and as a friend. She was going to miss his laid back attitude, his attempts to make her smile even on her worst day, his love for all things Henry.

JJ's attention was drawn to behind Anna where Will's girlfriend, Holly, stood, silently sobbing. JJ felt a pang of guilt slap low in her stomach. She hadn't had the chance to get to know Holly, but she knew that Will really liked her; knew he could see a future with her. JJ thought there was a good chance of that, too, when Holly learned of their living arrangements and she never blinked. Maybe, JJ thought, if she had been able to sort her feelings out sooner, if she had realized that she and Will were only together for Henry, he would have been able to meet Holly sooner. Maybe they would have had a chance at a wonderful life together.

A squeeze on her shoulder drew JJ from that line of thought. She recognized the warmth of Hotch's fingers and wondered how he knew at that moment to touch her. He had been so attentive to her the last few days, anticipating her every need, denying her nothing. He slept on the floor of her bedroom the last three nights even though it was killing his back because she needed him close, but didn't have the heart to explain to Garcia or her mother why Hotch was platonically in bed with her. Garcia slept in the bed instead.

Somewhere in her brain, she registered that Anna had begun to sing. Anna had agreed without hesitation to do it despite her misgivings on public singing. Anna had spent the last few days keeping the house in order and distracting Jack and Henry. She seemed to work from sun up to sun down and still was able to quell the boys' nightmares. Henry had become more and more clingy as his normal routine was upended. He was asking for his dad repeatedly, not quite grasping that he would never be coming home. Only Anna and Jack seemed to be able to calm him, much to her mother's annoyance. JJ was simply happy he would be able to be soothed. She knew she had many days and nights of clinging Henry to come.

JJ glanced up when she realized that the singing had stopped and people were going, leaving flowers on the casket as they went. She hadn't realized she had been staring so intently at the ground in front of her.

"Come on, little man," Anna said to Henry, picking him up from Betsy's lap. "Let's go get Jack."

"Jack!" Henry agreed, enthusiastically.

"See you at the house," Anna told JJ. She nodded to Hotch before leaving with Reid.

"Are you ready, Jennifer?" Betsy asked.

"No," JJ replied simply.

"Jennifer, there are people coming to your house. How will it look if you're not there to greet them?"

"Mom!" JJ snapped.

Hotch put his hand protectively back onto JJ's shoulder. "It's okay, Mrs. Jareau. I'll get her home. Anna and our team will be at the house to greet anyone who shows up."

Betsy sighed, but didn't argue. She gave JJ a quick kiss on the cheek before walking away.

"I'll be over here when you're ready. Take as much time as you need," Hotch told JJ.

"Hotch, wait," JJ called out. "Will you sit with me?"

"Of course," Hotch sat down in the chair that had previously been held by Betsy.

"How do you do it, Hotch?" JJ asked after several minutes of silence. "How do you get up every day and keep going? It feels like the world is upside down, like there's a big piece of my life that's just gone. I wasn't in love with him, but-"

Hotch reached out and grabbed her hand. "For Jack. I get up every day for Jack, just like you'll do for Henry."

"Henry. He's not going to remember Will."

"No, but he'll have the stories that you'll tell him, that Anna and Penelope will tell him. Henry will know how much his dad loved him." Hotch ran his thumb over JJ's knuckles. "And someday, he'll understand how much you and Will loved each other once. He'll know that while it may not have been a love for all ages, it was a great love, that he is the living proof of that."

"Who's going to teach him how to become a man?" JJ whispered. "Who's going to show him all those things that I can't?"

"I will," Hotch reassured her, "and so will Rossi, Reid, Morgan, and even, Kevin."

JJ closed her eyes and smiled, a single tear falling from her eye. For the first time in days, she felt as if the world wasn't falling apart, as if she and Henry would be okay. JJ released Hotch's hand and stood. She placed the flower in her hand on the casket with a kiss.

"Good-bye, Will," she said, softly. "I promise to do everything I can to raise our son the way you wanted. He will know what a good man you were and how much you loved him. He will know that you are looking down on him every day with a big, New Orleans grin on your face. I'll miss you."

JJ turned back to Hotch. "I'm ready to go home now."

Hotch lay his hand briefly on the casket before linking his arm through JJ's as they walked out of the cemetery together.


	10. Of Tantrums and Big Changes

JJ walked into the kitchen, quietly, still trying to grasp the fact that they had buried Will that morning. Her eyes were red with irritation. She had been trying to sleep, but her brain wouldn't shut down enough for that to happen for longer than twenty minutes. JJ paused when she saw Anna sitting at the table, her head in her hands over a cup of tea.

Anna looked up when she realized she wasn't alone. "Can I get you something?"

"I'm just going to grab some tea," JJ told her.

"The water should still be hot." Anna nodded to the teapot on the stove.

JJ made herself a cup and say down across from Anna. "When did everyone leave?"

"I put your mom to bed about nine."

"I'm sorry. She doesn't usually drink, but when she does-"

"JJ, you don't have to explain anything to me." Anna shrugged. "I'm not judging."

"Thank you."

"Derek, Spencer, and Emily left about ten. Penelope is sleeping on the couch. She didn't want to disturb you. Hotch is curled up on the loveseat."

"Hotch is still here?" Anna nodded, hiding a slight smile when JJ perked up just a bit. "I thought he'd go home now that the funeral's done."

"He'll be here until you tell him not to be here." Anna took a deep breath. "Henry is fed, clean, and sleeping in his bed with Jack. Jack has been super protective of him all day. He won't let Henry out of his sight."

"Thank you, Anna, for everything. I don't know how Henry and I would have gotten through the last few days without you."

"I wasn't alone."

"I know, but you're the one who made us eat, who kept people away when I need it, who organized the team to keep the house clean, the food filled, and the guests satisfied. You... kept me from killing my mother. That's no small feat, trust me."

Anna placed her hand on JJ's to stop her. "I will be here until you're so sick of me, you want to cover my face with a brown bag."

JJ smiled, half-amused, half-grateful.

"Hey there, sugar plums," Garcia said, stumbling into the kitchen. She hugged JJ before sitting down next to her.

"What are you doing up?" JJ asked her.

"Hotch talks in his sleep."

"He what?" JJ laughed. Anna chuckled with her.

"He talks in his sleep," Garcia reiterated, amusement shining in her eyes. "I didn't notice it before."

"What did he say?"

"I don't know, exactly. It was fragmented. The only words I could make out were 'Jack,' 'coin,' 'don't,' and 'locomotive.'"

"Locomotive?" JJ and Anna repeated, causing Garcia to shrug.

"Well, clearly, Jack stole some coins and Hotch was telling him 'don't get on that locomotive,'" Anna said, dryly, causing the other two to collapse in giggles.

"It feels good to laugh," JJ admitted.

Garcia put her hand over JJ's. "It's good to see you laugh."

"It doesn't feel right to laugh, not on the day we buried Will."

Anna sighed. "I'd rather laugh than cry. I had a lot of laughs with Will."

"He was always up for a good time." JJ sat up abruptly and ordered, "I don't want to think about this anymore. Someone distract me with something, anything."

"What's going on with you and Derek?" Garcia round on Anna, heeding JJ's command.

Anna checked so hard they could almost hear her bones rattle. "What do you mean?"

"You've been kind of avoiding each other."

"Even I've noticed that," JJ agreed, nodding her head.

"I've been kind of busy." Anna sighed when Garcia and JJ just looked at her. "We had a fight and

I'm not ready to forgive him and he's not ready to see my point of view. Neither of us is ready to compromise."

"What was the fight about?" Garcia asked, now concerned.

"My priorities." Anna covered her eyes with her hands in frustration.

JJ shook her head in confusion. "What about your priorities?"

"I never should have gotten involved with anyone on Hotch's team." Anna sideswiped the question, her mind racing fast enough that she was only vaguely aware that JJ and Garcia were still at the table.

"Do you really believe that?"

Anna pulled her hands away. Sadness seeped deep in her eyes, as whispered, "I'm starting to."

"Anna-"

Anna caught the look of wariness on Garcia's face and tried to focus her thoughts, not wanting to put Garcia in between her and Derek. Anna waved her hands. "What are you listening to me for? I haven't slept in days and I'm not making a lot of sense. We'll be fine, once we talk."

"Well, looks like we avoided one landmine just to jump right into another," JJ commented, trying to diffuse the tensions that wound its way into the kitchen.

"Who's jumping into landmines?" Hotch asked, stumbling into the kitchen, rubbing his face.

"Just some girl talk." Anna got up from the table. "I'm going to go check on the boys."

"Anna?" Hotch whispered as she passed him. He kept his voice low enough that JJ and Garcia were unable to hear.

"I promised to take Jack and Henry to the park this weekend," she said in response to his unasked question.

Hotch sat down the table. He smiled briefly when he felt JJ pressed her knee against his, seeking reassurance.

"I didn't mean to make things awkward," Garcia confessed.

"Anna will be fine," Hotch guaranteed her. "She's just got a lot going on right now and she doesn't want to deal with any of it just yet."

Garcia nodded, unconvincingly. "I'm going to head to bed. Good night, sweetie."

Hotch waited until Garcia left the room before turning his attention to JJ. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," she replied on autopilot.

"JJ, it's me you're talking to."

"I don't want to think about it anymore. I don't know how any of this is going to work. Henry was with Will every day. How do I keep working with the BAU and raise him by myself?"

"JJ," Hotch said, firmly, stopping her spiral, "we'll figure out."

JJ grabbed his hand, lacing her fingers through his. She leaned her head on his shoulder. "I'm glad you're here. I'm glad you've become my best friend. I don't know what I'd do without you."

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"I got it." Anna opened the front door to reveal Morgan standing there. The smile she had on her face faltered, causing him to stiffen.

"Can we talk?" Morgan asked. "You've been avoiding me for almost two weeks."

"Who's at the door?" JJ questioned, walking up to them. Her eyes grew wide at seeing Morgan. "Hey, Derek. We, uh, were just going to take the kids for ice cream."

"We were?" Hotch queried, walking into the last part of the conversation.

"Yeah, we were." JJ jerked her head towards Anna and Morgan. She quickly bundled the boys up and led them all outside.

"How's she doing?" Morgan asked Anna.

Anna shrugged. "As well as can be expected. Henry's just starting to act out so the rough part's still coming."

Anna gestured for him to come inside and sit down on the couch. She sat down, too, just far enough away to be out of touch. Her uncomfortableness didn't go unnoticed by Morgan.

He sighed, his voice low when he spoke, "I'm sorry. I never should have... questioned your relationship with Reid. I know how important he is to you."

"Do you?" she asked, unconvinced.

"I may not understand why you feel that way, but I understand that you do. He feels the same way about you." Morgan chuckled. "He actually threatened me if I hurt you."

"He shouldn't have done that," Anna protest, though she was secretly pleased.

"It was sweet. He really does see you as his big sister."

"My... biological family never had much use for me. I guess I just started looking for my own family elsewhere. Reid and Hotch are like the brothers I never had and I enjoy being their sister." Anna took a deep breath, picking at her nails. "I'm sorry, too. I haven't really taken your feelings into consideration. I haven't really made you a priority. I'll try to do that going forward."

"That's all I ask." Morgan scooted closer to her, lacing his hand in hers.

"I still can't spend the night with you."

"I know."

She squeezed his hands. "It won't be forever. Jack's... healing more and more every day. It's not that I don't want to-"

"It's that Jack needs you right now." He released one of her hands to gently brush a red curl from her face before cupping her cheek. "I get it. Really."

Anna placed a soft kiss on his lips. "Thanks."

"Can we be done fighting now?" he murmured, hovering close to her face. She nodded, bumping his nose with hers. "Can we move this to your room?"

Anna jumped off the couch, dragging him with her. Morgan toed along until the hit the steps.

"What about everybody?"

"They'll be gone at least an hour and JJ will give me a heads up call when they're on their way." She kissed him, sucking suggestively on his tongue.

"Are all women this devious?" he asked when he broke the kiss. He rotated between vibrating with need for her and nervousness over getting caught in his boss' house.

"Pretty much." Anna took off the sweater she was wearing, revealing a thin, blue bra with just a hit of black lace. "You coming?"

"Not yet, but I will be," Morgan promised, chasing her up the stairs just to hear her squeal.

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"Why do you look so nervous? You do realize that we've spent every day together for the last month, don't you? Well, except for those few days when you were on a case and even then, you called JJ like five times a day," Anna said to Hotch as they got out of the car. Anna grabbed the pizzas from the backseat while Hotch helped Jack out of his booster seat.

Hotch scowled. "I don't look nervous."

"You look a little scared, Daddy," Jack chimed in. "It's okay. We're just going to see my JJ. She's not scary at all."

Anna choked on a snicker as Hotch rolled his eyes. He grabbed Jack's hand and hurried to the door. He knocked on the door with a bit more vigor than normal. JJ answered the door slightly out of breath. Her eyes were red and her face was tense. Henry could be heard screaming from his bedroom.

"Did I know you were coming over?" JJ questioned, her eyebrows raised in confusion. Usually, one of them called to let her know they were on their way or to invite her over.

"We wanted to surprise you!' Jack exclaimed.

Anna handed the pizzas to Hotch. "Do you mind if I go see Henry?"

"Please. We've been butting heads all day." JJ turned expectantly to Hotch when Anna disappeared.

Hotch held up the pizza boxes. "We brought dinner."

"Is it dinnertime already?" She shook her head. "Come on in. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you're here. Anna said you'd be here until I told you not to be."

"We can leave if we're bothering you."

"No!" JJ said quickly and a bit more forcefully than she wanted. "I mean, I'm glad you're here. You're welcome anytime."

"JJ? Did I leave my dump truck here?" Jack asked, interrupting the intense stare between Hotch and JJ.

"I'm pretty sure it's in the kitchen." She laughed as he skipped off with his arms flailing.

Anna walked down the stairs with a now calm Henry in her arms.

"I sorry, Momma," Henry sniffled.

JJ leaned over and kissed his forehead. "I love you, Monkey."

"Love you, Momma." Anna put him down and he toddled towards the living room where Jack had returned with his dump truck.

"I don't know how you do that," JJ told Anna, "but-"

"I'm the nanny!" Anna said in exasperation. "It's what I do. This isn't just a pretty face."

Hotch sighed as he often did with Anna. "Let's go eat."

"So, are you ready to tell me why you two are really here?" JJ asked, her voice holding a hint of demand after they finished dinner and sent the boys into the living room to play. She had caught onto the nervous glances between Anna and Hotch throughout dinner.

"Garcia told us that your mom offered to move here with you and Henry so that you can go back to work," Hotch admitted slowly.

Anna leaned forward. "And I think we all know that would be a terrible idea. So, we came up with a solution."

"Well, actually, Anna came up with the solution. I just agreed."

JJ sighed. "What's the solution?"

"Let me watch Henry when you're at work," Anna offered. "We'll switch off days: one day at your house, one day at Hotch's so the boys both spend time at home."

"You don't think that would be a bit confusing for them?"

"Not after spending every day together for the last month."

JJ nodded her agreement on that. Jack and Henry seemed fine anywhere as long as they were together. It was when Jack wasn't around that Henry had a tendency to become shy. "It's a great idea, but..."

"But what?" Hotch asked, anxiously. He was tapping his foot discretely.

"There's no way I can afford you, Anna."

Anna smiled. "Don't worry about it."

JJ folded her arms stubbornly. "I have to pay you."

"JJ-" Hotch began, but Anna cut him off. "It's okay, Hotch. JJ, you can pay me the same amount that Hotch does: twenty bucks a week."

"Huh?" JJ looked at Hotch who shrugged in agreement. "How is that..."

"JJ, I'm a trust fund baby."

"But your father-"

"From my grandmother. She wouldn't go against my father while she was alive, but she left all of her grandchildren money. She left me a little more than the others because my mother was the only ex-wife to not come from money. I'm set for life."

"Oh."

Anna took a deep breath. Her shoulders were tense as if she had told some deep, dark secret about herself. "Hotch insisted that he pay me, too. I won't take more than that. I want to do this."

JJ's chin quivered slightly. She felt tears welling up in her eyes. "You're like my own fairy godmother."

"Hardly!" Anna barked, releasing some of the weight on her. "I'm more like a nightmare. Besides, I'm doing this for me, really. Jack gets antsy if he doesn't see Henry and this keeps him occupied so I can work on my plan to take over the world."

The sincere look on Anna's face caused JJ to bust out laughing.

Hotch sighed and rolled his eyes for the fifth or sixth time that night, a small, humored smile upon his face. "I can't believe I ever let you near my child."

JJ laughed harder. She wasn't able to calm herself for several minutes. "I am so glad I have you two in my life. Thank you. And I will gladly accept your offer."

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JJ returned to work two weeks later. She was eager to focus her thoughts on something other than Will and the guilt that the end of his short life was causing her. If she was completely honest with herself, she was looking forward to spending some time away from Henry. Of course, even skirting that thought caused her conscious to explode. Henry needed her now of all times and she was clinging to the small reprieve that work provided like it was life raft.

Henry. He threw a fit every time she asked him to do anything he didn't want to. Picking up his toys caused a thirty minute meltdown. Eating his vegetables had resulted in food on the walls more than once. He had even thrown a toy or two at Jack. He tossed insults at Anna, who took it all in stride, Jack, and JJ. Jack look bewildered every time Henry did so. JJ just wanted to cry with each "I hate Momma" that he spewed. Anna was able to calm him usually after a time, but only Hotch seemed to escape his wrath. JJ was incredibly grateful to whatever in the universe had allowed the BAU to stay close to home more often than not and enabled Hotch to spend some time with Henry almost daily.

At night, however, it was a different story. Henry used to be easy to put to bed; a story, a kiss, and he was out. Now, it took an hour or more for him to settle. Most nights, he was up within two hours with night terrors. He wanted only JJ, not only slept with her, but on her, even that rarely kept the nightmares at bay. JJ was beginning to dread the first time they were called away for a case and she had to leave him with Anna. She was certain that Anna would renege on her offer to watch Henry after spending one night with him. That would mean either her mother would have to move in or she would have to leave the BAU. Neither option was appealing.

"You ready to go?" Hotch asked, knocking on her door and stepping inside.

JJ looked up, startled, unaware of just how deep in thought she had been. "Uh, yeah. Let me just gather these papers together."

"Are the kids are your house or my house today?"

"Um," JJ blew at a long breath, "yours. No, mine. No."

"They're at your house, Hotch," Rossi told them, standing in the doorway with his arms folded. "I talked to Anna earlier."

"Thanks, Dave," Hotch told him, somewhat reproached.

"How are things going shuffling the kids back and forth?"

JJ glanced at Hotch before shrugging. "Seems to be going okay as long as we remember which house they're at."

"Good. Well, I'll let you get home. I just wanted to check in." Rossi turned away, shaking his head when he was clear of their sight. They might think things were going smoothly, but if his conversation with Anna was any indication, things were soon going to hit the fan.

The BAU team was called away a few days later for the kidnapping of an eight-year-old child in Alabama. It was the second abduction in less than a week. JJ spent the three days they were gone fielding questions from bloodthirsty reporters, comforting two devastated families, listening to the hardships of the other team members, and fretting about Henry to the point of making herself sick. Hotch spent his time waffling between being the stoic, professional chief he usually was and trying to shield JJ from as much pain as possible. Thankfully, the only two people who seemed to notice his dilemma were Rossi and Reid.

The case didn't go well. They lost the first girl and nearly lost the second. The unsub fell to his death after a chase by Prentiss and Morgan. The BAU was strung out in the press as a failure when the public demanded someone be blamed for the death of a child and the near death of another. The plane ride back to Virginia was marred with occasional sniping of the team to each other followed by long silences. No one seemed to be able to sleep. It had been a long, cold winter and it didn't appear as if things were going to look up anytime soon.

It was late by the time Hotch and JJ reached his house. Thoughts of hugging their children before crashing into bed ran rampant in both their heads. They opened the door to find the house dark, unusual since they had informed Anna they were coming. A quick search of the house found it completely empty. Hotch huffed in annoyance.

"Anna?" JJ said into her cell phone.

"Hey, JJ. You guys running late?" Anna asked, innocently.

JJ bit her bottom lip. "No, we're home, at Hotch's actually, and wondering where you guys are."

"We're-" Anna cut herself off with a sigh. "We'll be there shortly."

JJ hung up the phone and looked at Hotch, who was pacing the living room. "She said they'll be home soon."

"Where have you been?" Hotch pounced on Anna as she walked into the house, carrying Henry, who was sleeping soundly, and prodding along Jack who was nearly sleepwalking. Jack lay on the couch and promptly fell asleep.

Anna sighed as JJ took Henry, ignoring his ire. "We were at JJ's. It's her night."

"Oh, right. I'm sorry," Hotch apologized, all irritation suddenly draining from him as he realized it was their mistake and not Anna's.

"Look, guys, this isn't working. I thought just keeping the boys together would be enough, but they need more of a set routine."

"You're right," JJ agreed. "I'm going to talk to my mother tomorrow."

Anna rubbed her face. She spoke slowly, "I have another idea, but it's a little unconventional."

"Unconventional how?" Hotch asked, glancing at JJ.

"Instead of bringing your mother here and up-heaving Henry's life with a new person, especially one that's going to drive you both crazy, the two of you could just move in together."

"What?" they both said.

"Like roommates," she continued. "If you got a house together, the boys would always be in one place and you would have each other as back-ups when I'm not around."

Hotch and JJ looked at each other. Hotch gave JJ the faintest smile; he was used to Anna's "unconventional" ideas. "And how would we explain that to the Bureau?"

"There are no rules against agents being roommates, even with supervisors. I looked. Technically, there's not rules against them dating as long as it's done through the proper channels." Off their skeptical looks, she added, "Okay, I had Spencer look."

"And where would we live? Both our places are too small, unless you and I are getting bunk beds."

It was Anna's turn to give off a faint smile. She knew by his joking that she had him seriously considering the idea. He just didn't want to let JJ know that yet. "I've actually found a place."

Anna walked over to the dining room table, where her laptop was set up. She waited while JJ put Henry on the couch and she and Hotch wandered over her. Anna pointed to the laptop screen. "This house right here has everything you'd need. It's five bedrooms, four baths, a giant yard, a finished basement with two rooms that could be turned into offices. One of the bedroom/bathroom combos is on the first floor behind the kitchen, which would be perfect for your nanny. Two of the bedrooms upstairs have their own bathrooms, so you guys wouldn't have to share."

"There is no way I could afford this place," JJ said, her eyes full of awe.

"How much is it?" Hotch asked.

Anna hid a grin, amused that neither of them was protesting the idea. "It doesn't have a price yet."

"What?"

"It's not officially on the market, but it will be soon."

"How did you hear about it then?"

"And get pictures?" JJ added.

"I know people," she replied, cryptically. "Look, if you're interested, I can get you in touch with the real estate agent. We went to high school together."

Anna waited for them to speak. When they did not, she said, "It's not going to stay off the market for long."

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to look," JJ said to Hotch, slowly.

"I suppose not," Hotch agreed.

Anna clapped her hands. "Great. I'll set something up for tomorrow."

"Well, I should probably get Henry home to bed." JJ lifted Henry off of the couch. She said her good-byes and quickly left the house.

Hotch rounded on Anna. "It doesn't have a price yet?"

Anna shrugged. "I happened to catch her at the right time."

"Uh-huh." Hotch picked Jack up from the couch. "You already bought the house, didn't you?"

"Maybe." Anna's cheeks took on a pinkish tone, knowing she had been busted.

"And you're just going to sell it to us at a price we can afford?"

"That's the plan."

Hotch kissed her forehead affectionately. "You are diabolical, Miss Anna, but sometimes that's a good thing."

"Good night, Hotch."

"Night."

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JJ stood in the living room of the house that Anna brought them to see. If was even more beautiful than the pictures on the website showed. The living room was big and open. It had plenty of room to store couches, Hotch's television, their combined bookshelves, and some of the kids toys. The living room opened to the landscaped backyard. They'd be able to watch the kids from the living room. The kitchen was also spacious, though JJ admittedly didn't have much use for it. She liked, however, that there was a small breakfast nook big enough to accommodate the five of them. The dining room was formal, but she suspected they would only use that for special occasions.

She had fallen in love with the house almost as soon as she had stepped inside. She could easily see her and Henry living there. More than that, she could see them living there with Hotch and Jack. The thought both pleased and terrified her. If they did join forces, there would be no going back. Their lives would be intertwined through their kids, even if one of them found someone new. This wasn't just a choice about a place to live, it was a choice about a lifestyle. Live here and co-parent both boys with Hotch (with help from Anna) or stay where she was at and accept her mother's help.

JJ jumped when everyone seemed to converge into the living room at once: Hotch with the real estate agent and Anna with the two boys.

"Well, what do you think?" Mimi, Anna's real estate friend, asked.

"It's a beautiful house. I can't imagine it's going to stay on the market long," JJ replied, missing the wink from Anna to Hotch.

"It most definitely will not," Mimi agreed.

"Do you think you could give JJ and I a minute?" Hotch asked them.

"Of course."

"Come on, Jack," Anna said, picking Henry up. "Let's go check out the upstairs again."

Jack skipped ahead of her. "Great! I can show which room is going to be my room."

Hotch waited until he could hear them going up the stairs before turning to JJ. "So, what do you think, really?"

"The house? It's a no-brainer. It's a great house. I can completely see myself living here. I can't imagine what the price is going to be."

"About that-"

"Right," JJ interrupted, suddenly. "Anna will probably make sure this house is affordable."

He nodded his agreement. "What's your hesitation?"

"Have you thought about what this means? I mean, really thought about it? We'll be raising Jack and Henry together. We'll be filling in those roles, no matter how much we remind ourselves that we're not their parents."

"We're already doing that, though, don't you think? We're already spending every day together with the boys. Is it eccentric? Absolutely, but it fits our lifestyles, don't you think?" Hotch smiled when she chuckled at that. "JJ, I love Henry. I would be very proud to help raise him, to help him become a man. I can't imagine that changing even if you find someone to share your life with."

"What if you find someone?" she whispered.

"Anyone I find would have to be okay with my place in your and Henry's lives and your place in mine."

"Jack?"

Hotch licked his lips. "Jack has already been putting you in a maternal role for months. I can't imagine an instance where you would turn your back on him."

"Never!"

"I want to do this." Hotch grabbed her shoulders. "I think this is a good idea for both our families. Anna's right; the kids need more stability. Living together will provide that. Henry will have a paternal figure in his life who knows the special place his dad will always have in his life and Jack will have a maternal figure who knows the same about his mom. Unconventional for two single friends to move in together? Sure, but it makes sense for us."

JJ was quiet for a few minutes, taking it all in. She agreed with him. It was unusual, but it felt right for their kids and for them. Finally, she let out a slow breath. "Let's do it."

"Yeah?"

"Yes."

"Yeah!" Jack shouted as he, Henry, and the other two women returned to the living room. "We're all moving in together!"

Jack flew into JJ's arms, hugging her tightly. Henry wiggled until Anna put him down. He toddled to Hotch and demanded to be picked up. Anna quietly fist bumped Mimi.

Mimi smiled widely at them. "I'll get the paper work started. Welcome home."


	11. Of Moving Dates and Galas

"You really got them to move in together?" Reid asked Anna. The two of them were laying on the empty living room floor in the new house, staring at the ceiling. They were shoulder to shoulder.

"So, it would appear," Anna replied, lightly.

"How did you manage to pull this off?"

Anna shrugged, crossing her legs. "I just gave them the means to do it. They did the rest. They very much want to be a family. They just don't know how to admit it yet. That's where I come in."

"You don't think it's too soon after..." Reid's voice dropped off, not wanting to mention Will's name.

Anna tensed. "I'm not suggesting they run off and get married right. It'll take awhile. It would be too soon if JJ and Will had been involved, but they broke up almost a year ago."

"Rossi knows. No one else seems to suspect they're anything more than best friends or at least they're not talking about it. Garcia's a little put out by their friendship," Reid observed. "You haven't talked about any of this with her?"

"No." Anna hesitated. "We haven't really talked since I had that fight with Derek. I don't think she's quite forgiven me. That's fine, though. Derek's where her loyalty lies."

"My loyalty lies with you," he promised, quietly.

She bumped him with her shoulder. "And mine lies with you, little brother."

"How are you and Morgan anyway? You never did say what that fight was about."

"And I'm not going to. What about you? Did you ever make a date with the cute blond from the Christmas party?"

"Twice. Had to cancel both times because of work. You ignored my first question."

Anna smiled. "We're doing okay. We're still going through some growing pains. Sex is great, though."

"Anna!" Reid sighed, exasperated.

She giggled. "You sounded just like Hotch there."

"Can you believe you've almost been here a year?" he asked in a desperate attempt to change the subject.

"Sometimes. Sometimes, it seems like I've been here forever. Sometimes, it seems like I haven't been here that long. It's been a crazy year." Anna sobered. "I have a favor to ask you, but I kind of need it to stay between the two of us."

"It's not illegal, is it?"

Anna rolled her eyes. "You really are starting to sound like Hotch. No, it's not illegal. It's this family thing I have to go to in a couple of weeks. It's a dinner for one of the charities that my grandmother created. It's formal."

"Why don't you ask Morgan?"

"It's not really his kind of thing and I'd rather that he not meet my family."

"Sure, I'll go, as long as we're not called away on a case."

"Thanks."

"What's going on in here?" Morgan asked, walking into the living room with Hotch. They had been walking through the house to determine what rooms needed painted before moving in.

"We're just waiting on you," Anna told him, not bothering to sit up. "Did you get everything you need?"

"I think so." Hotch looked to Morgan, who agreed. "I think just JJ's room, the boys' rooms, and the dining room will need painted. Oh, and your room, if you want."

"Maybe," she replied, nonchalantly.

Morgan stood over her, his eyes twinkling. "Are you just going to lay there all day?"

"I'm thinking about it. We have to wait for JJ, Penelope, and the boys anyway. They're out shopping for new stuff for the boys' rooms."

"We're back," Garcia said, breathlessly, entering the living room. "Taking two little boys shopping for new rooms is not an experience I want to have anytime soon. You guys are not moving again anytime soon!"

Hotch frowned at Garcia's statement. He looked worriedly as JJ entered, leading Jack and Henry. He smiled slightly when instead of looking tired, she looked excited. JJ walked right up Hotch.

"The boys are all set. Jack, no surprise, wants a superhero theme. Henry has decided to go with trucks."

"Henry picked out his own theme?" Hotch asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Well, he got to choose between the two I found. He picked the trucks over the frogs."

"Smart kid," Hotch chuckled earning him a glare.

JJ sighed. "How'd the walk through go?"

"Not bad. We should be able to get it all done in under two days."

"Great. Who are you hiring?" JJ smirked at him.

"Oh, ha-ha. You know, you-"

"Ow, Henry!" Jack shouted, suddenly. "JJ! Henry bit me!"

"Henry, no! We do not bite!" JJ picked Henry up and walked him into the hallway. She put him on the stairs for a timeout. As she walked back into the living room to check on Jack, she heard a thud behind her. Henry had thrown himself to the floor and was now gearing up for a massive tantrum.

"No, Mama! No!" Henry screeched. He kicked and punched at JJ when she tried to pick him up. JJ felt her own tears running down her face.

"Henry, stop," Hotch ordered, walking into the hallway. Henry stopped hitting JJ, but he continued to cry. Hotch took him from JJ. He placed a hand on her shoulder before bending down to kiss her forehead. "It's going to be okay."

JJ nodded, wiping her tears away. She returned to the living room where Jack was standing with Anna, sniffling. Ignoring the looks from everyone, she took Jack's hand to lead him into the bathroom so they could wash both of their faces. Hotch and Henry joined them a few minutes later. Henry's tears were gone.

"Sorry, Mama. Sorry, Jack," Henry told them solemnly. "No bite."

"It's okay," Jack reassured him, his tears having long dried up. "Come on. Let's go get Uncle Spencer to play."

Jack grabbed Henry's hand when he wiggled down from Hotch and the two boys ran off.

"What's happening to my sweet, little boy?" JJ asked Hotch, tears welling in her eyes again.

Hotch brushed a piece of hair from her forehead. "He's two, he just lost his father, and he's going through a lot of changes right now. He'll be better when things stabilize. That's one of the reasons that we're doing this."

"You're right. I know you're right." JJ rubbed her eyes and planted a smile on her face. "I don't know what I'd do without you. You're the only one who seems to be able to calm Henry down when he gets into one of those tantrums."

"Anna calls them 'monster tantrums.' Don't forget, it goes both ways. You're the one Jack wants to talk to in the middle of the night."

"We're doing the right thing here, right? Moving in together?"

Hotch peered at her. "Are you having second thoughts?"

"On my side? No. You are wonderful with Henry; you always have been. I mean, look at that: you got him to calm down with just two words." She smiled at Hotch's proud grin. "And I adore Jack. I am so honored at the place you and Jack have allowed me to have in his life."

"But?"

"But you have always been an incredibly private person and I don't want make you uncomfortable. I don't want you to think you have to do this."

"You're pretty conservative yourself, JJ. And I don't think I have to do this. I want to do this. I know this is an odd situation, but I think it works for us; for our kids. I want to do this. I want to live with my best friend."

JJ reached down and grabbed Hotch's hand to squeeze it. "Come on. Let's go get Uncle Spencer to play."

"Oh, that is just disturbing," Hotch cringed, following her out of the bathroom.

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Moving day was just under two weeks later. They hired movers to move the big stuff from both houses, but the BAU team came to help with the rest. Per Jack's strict instruction, only Morgan was allowed to move his superheroes and their cave as he was the only one who was strong enough to carry them. Morgan preened the rest of the afternoon. Anna had both boys' room unpacked and ready to go by dinnertime. JJ put Reid and Garcia in charge of organizing the kitchen while she supervised the rest of the team. By the time everyone left near midnight, only the dining room, the offices, bits and pieces of the adults' bedrooms, and pictures need to be completed.

The Friday evening after moving day found the BAU team sans Reid, JJ, and Hotch gathered in the bullpen, trying to wrap up for the weekend. Reid had taken a half day, but hadn't shared with anyone what his plans were. They were speculating what his plans might be from guest lecturing to date with a porn star to being called away on a secret mission for the FBI. They were all in a jovial mood; it had been an easy week and the weekend lay before them.

"About ready?" JJ asked, standing in Hotch's doorway, catching just snippets of the bullpen conversation and laughter.

Hotch looked up and smiled, setting his pen down. In the week they had officially lived together, he had learned to leave whenever JJ said it was time to go. It saved him from a long, tense car ride home. "Just need to grab some papers."

"You guys out of here already?" Prentiss asked, surprised when JJ and Hotch walked down the stairs, packed up for the weekend.

"Anna has some mysterious plans for this evening. She left the boys with Mrs. Nickson," JJ explained. Mrs. Nickson was a kind, older woman from Hotch's old neighborhood who generously offered to watch the boys whenever they needed. This was only the second time they used her.

Morgan held up his hands with a shrug when they all looked at him. "She wouldn't tell me either; just mumbled something about an obligation and... changed the subject."

"'Changed the 'subject,' huh?" Prentiss teased. "That's what causing the blush on your face?"

Morgan waved her off with a glare as Rossi, Prentiss, JJ, and Garcia all laughed. Hotch groaned.

"Agent Hotchner, good, you're still here," Erin Strauss said, walking into the bullpen, seemingly ignorant to the sudden tension she brought, "as is the rest of your team."

"Is there something we can help you with, ma'am?" Hotch asked, stiffly, stepping forward.

"Yes. I need you and your team to fill in at a charity dinner tonight. The team that was supposed to go has been called out on case. Here's all of the information." Strauss handed him a packet of papers. "I expect to see all of you there."

With that final order, she turned and walked away.

"Seriously, Hotch?" Morgan questioned.

Hotch skimmed the papers. "Apparently so. It's a charity that supports law enforcement; the Kathleen O'Leary foundation. Looks like every major branch is sending in a team. It's formal, being held at the Xavier Hotel."

"That is fancy," Prentiss muttered.

"Looks like we're leaving from here in two hours so I suggest everyone get home and get ready. They got limos for us." Hotch sighed when they all protested. "Hey, you heard her. We're not getting out of this."

"I'll call Mrs. Nickson," JJ grumbled.

JJ was still grumbling when they all met up just over two hours later, dressed to the nines. She grumbled on the way to the limos and on the way to the hotel. She didn't stop grumbling until they entered the ballroom of the Xavier Hotel. The overwhelming ostentation caused them all to become speechless. The room was filled with important looking people dressed in their formal bests. They could see at least three bars, two appetizer buffets, and a 16 piece orchestra. Giant floral arrangements adorn each table, decorated with crystals.

"This is... something even for me," Rossi commented.

"Guess we should try to find our seats," Prentiss mumbled. Hotch breathed out slowly before nodding, leading them through the crowd.

Anna was standing with Reid near the back bar, a vodka tonic in her hand. Reid was babbling on about the advantages and disadvantages of private charities over public aid, but for once, Anna was barely listening. Instead, her focus was completely on looking for and avoiding any relatives. Anna sighed audibly when spotted her older sister walking towards her wearing a blue ballgown, her blond hair pinned up.

"Is that a tiara?" Anna huffed in disbelief.

"Huh?" Reid asked, confused. He followed Anna's gaze to see a tall woman wearing a diamond tiara in her hair and a sinister smile on her face.

"Anna, dear, hello," the woman greeted, kissing the air by Anna's cheek. "So glad you could come."

"Alexandra," Anna replied, stiffly. "Spencer, this is my sister, Alexandra. Alexandra, this is my little brother, Dr. Spencer Reid."

"Little brother?" Alexandra repeated. She rolled her eyes when Anna only stared back at her. Alexandra held her hand out to Reid. "It's nice to meet you, Dr. Reid."

Reid took her hand. "You, too."

"Spencer is an FBI agent. He works with the BAU out of Quantico," Anna explained, a hint of pride in her voice. Reid blushed slightly.

"Oh, I invited the rest of your team here this evening. They're right over there," Alexandra pointed out smugly.

Anna folded her arms, her heart dropping to her feet. Blood pounded in her ears. "You really are a bitch. It's no wonder Grandmother preferred me over you."

"That old bag felt sorry for you. You came from nothing. You are nothing."

"And still you're jealous of me."

Alexandra puffed and jerked her chin out before storming off under the pretense of finding someone "more important" to talk to.

"So, that was your sister," Reid said, flatly.

Anna nodded. "One of them anyway."

"That certainly explains a lot."

"Thanks," Anna said in mock anger.

"Uh, Anna?" Reid tapped her. "I think we've been spotted."

Anna looked to where he was pointing and saw the BAU staring at the two of them with various degrees of surprise on their faces. Anna grabbed Reid's arm to lead him to the table, determination on her face as butterflies swarmed her stomach. Reid just had a big smile on his face, excited that his team was there for the night.

"Did you get called in, too, Reid?" Garcia asked, trying to piece together why Reid and Anna were there and deciding that maybe Strauss had called Reid and he had begged Anna to come.

"Uh, no," Reid replied, looking to Anna to expand further.

Anna squirmed uncomfortably. "Kathleen O'Leary was my grandmother. This was her foundation. It's the one family obligation that even I attend each year."

"And you brought Reid?" Morgan questioned her.

"I-"

"Anna!" a male voice called out, interrupting her. A man in his early fifties with graying hair and piercing blue eyes escorting a woman in her forties walked up to the group. He gave Anna a quick kiss on her temple. "I heard you were here. And you've found our FBI group, the Behavioral Analysis Unit, I believe. Excellent. Alexandra said she handpicked them."

"Hello, Teddy, Catherine. This actually is the BAU. Allow me to introduce Aaron Hotchner, Jennifer Jareau, Penelope Garcia, Derek Morgan, David Rossi, Emily Prentiss, and Dr. Spencer Reid. This is my eldest brother, Theodore Kingston, Jr. and his wife, Catherine."

Teddy shook each of their hands, pausing at Prentiss'. "Emily Prentiss? Elizabeth's daughter?"

"Um, yes," Prentiss replied, surprised. "Do you know my mother?"

"We were on a few committees together."

Anna purposely ignored the glances from the team. "Teddy, Aaron and Jennifer are actually my bosses."

"Right," Catherine said, condescendingly. "We heard about you little... job."

"You know, Father is here. You really should come with us to say hello and to meet wife number, what is it, darling? Five? Six?" Teddy turned to his wife, who rolled her eyes.

"Seven," Anna supplied.

"That's right. This one's already expecting. I guess, he's wasting no time in his old age." Teddy sighed. "Anyway, you should really come greet them. That little... incident was so long ago."

"Incident?" Anna repeated, but her voice was swallowed by Alexandra arriving with another man.

"Teddy, dear, it's almost time for the welcome speech." Alexandra raked her eyes over Anna. "Anna, perhaps you want to freshen up before the picture. It'll be in just twenty minutes or so."

"Really, Alexandra, what can you expect from her?" the man with her said as Alexandra and Catherine tittered.

"Alexandra, Thomas, that's enough. We're all family," Teddy said, firmly, causing all three to shut down instantly. "We'll see you for the picture, Anna."

Anna sighed frustrated as they group walked away. She balled her hands up to stop herself from rubbing her face. Anna jumped when she heard Morgan whisper in her ear, "Can I talk to you?"

Anna nodded and let him lead her to a darken corner in the lobby. Morgan stood apart from her, his irritation evident in his folded arms. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"I didn't want you to know."

"Don't you think I would have been here for you?"

Anna sighed, also folding her arms. "I didn't want you to meet my family."

Morgan checked hard. "You don't want me to meet your family? Are you ashamed of me? Of us?"

"No!" Anna practically shouted. "I'm ashamed of them! That, in there, was them on their best behavior! I never know what they're going to say; how they're going to act. I didn't want them to meet any of you."

"But you asked Reid to come?" His anger was dissipating slightly, but his confusion was growing.

"I didn't think I could face them without someone, not after this year, and Spencer's fairly harmless, and he'd hide in the back with me."

"If you dislike your family that much, why do you even bother to come?"

Anna shot him a self-deprecating smile. "I wouldn't come at all except this was my grandmother's pet charity. I do it for her."

Morgan unfolded his arms. He took a few steps forward and grabbed her elbows. "I guess I can understand that."

"I'm sorry." Anna put her hands on his chest, feeling his heartbeat through the crisp, white dress shirt. "I never meant to hurt you. I thought I was protecting you."

"Don't protect me. Talk to me instead. Got it?"

"Got it."

Morgan leaned down to kiss her, but was stopped by the voice of a young girl calling out, "Aunt Anna! Aunt Anna! It's time for the family picture!"

The little girl was no more than seven and had the same red hair as Anna. Anna caught her in her arms and swung her around.

"Derek, this is my niece, Michaela. Michaela, this is my friend, Derek," Anna introduced.

"Your boyfriend"" Michaela asked in a sing-song voice.

"Yes, my boyfriend," she answered in the same voice.

Michaela looked him up and down. "He's cute."

Anna and Morgan both broke out into laughter. Anna carried Michaela back into the ballroom. Morgan followed them, veering to the table while Anna and Michaela went to the stage for the picture. The team looked on in awe as nearly fifty family members were crammed together.

"She really doesn't like her family," JJ muttered to Hotch. Anna was at the edge of the picture surrounded only by children.

"No," Hotch sighed.

JJ turned to look at him. She placed a hand on his knee. "What's wrong?"

"She hid this from me. I didn't know anything about this. She's been coming here for years and she never told me. I didn't think she lied to me."

"She probably doesn't think of it as lying. It's clear that it's an obligation for her and nothing more. She seems embarrassed to be here."

"I suppose," Hotch agreed, reluctantly. He pouted through the picture, through dinner, and through the first dance, where it seemed everyone in the O'Leary family had to join in. Hotch wasn't alone as Morgan seemed to deflate as the evening wore on, despite the talk he had earlier with Anna. Garcia and Prentiss spent their time discussing the other party-goers, including Reid who seemed to have caught the eye of a pretty brunette in Anna's family. Rossi searched the crowd for anyone he knew, whether to seek them or avoid them, he wasn't sure.

Tired of Hotch's moping by the fifth song, JJ grabbed his hand to pull him onto the dance floor with the other couples. She had one of his hands on her waist and the other in her hand by the time he recovered enough to take the lead from her. She drew in as close to him as she could while still maintaining eye contact.

"So, I know it hasn't been a week, but how do you think things are going?" JJ asked him, uncertainty running through her eyes.

Hotch smiled at her to ease her nerves. "Jack's ecstatic that you and Henry and he and I and Anna are all under one roof. I haven't seen him this happy since... I haven't seen this happy in a long time. Henry seems to be adjusting already."

"I'm afraid it's just a honeymoon period and his monster tantrums are just around the corner. In fact, I'm waiting for a phone call from Mrs. Nickson any minute now telling me to come pick up my hellion of a son."

Hotch chuckled. "JJ, you worry too much. The boys are already in bed. If there were any issues, we would have heard by now. Try and relax."

"I'll relax if you relax, deal?"

"Deal."

"How are you handling sharing your home with two women?"

"Two?" Hotch looked down, perplexed.

JJ raised her eyebrows. "Um, me and Anna?"

"Oh." Hotch shrugged. "Anna's just Anna. I don't really think of her as a... you know."

"A woman? Does that mean you think of me as a woman?"

"I, uh, well..." Hotch felt the back of his neck grow hot. "Yes, I am always aware that you're a woman."

JJ bit her bottom lip, pleased at his response.

"And to answer your question, I love having you... and Henry... around."

They fell into a comfortable silence. JJ laid her head against his shoulder, breathing in his scent. She noticed Morgan and Garcia dancing not too far away. Glancing around the room, she could see Prentiss and Rossi engaged in a heated conversation at the table and Anna and Reid in a group of people near the edge of the dance floor.

"What's going on with Anna and Morgan?" JJ asked.

Hotch laid his cheek against the top of her head. "I don't know. I'm trying to stay desperately in the dark."

Hotch and JJ remained dancing close for another three dances, stopping only when Hotch noticed Rossi grinning at them from the table, whatever discussion he had been having with Prentiss long laid to rest. Inwardly, Hotch groaned as he led JJ off the dance floor when Rossi rose to meet them at the edge.

"You guys look great out there," Rossi told them, enjoying their matching blushes. He decided to go easy on them. "JJ, you have to save me a dance to teach me how to do that. I always seem to trip over my partner."

"Sure, Dave, but fair warning, if you step on my feet, I'm going to hit you," JJ deadpanned.

Rossi laughed, but took her warning seriously. "Anna seems to have quite the family here. I recognize a few of them from other galas."

JJ and Hotch turned towards Anna on instinct. She and Reid were standing not thirty feet away from them. Hotch sighed before replying, "She doesn't like to talk about them. I'm not even sure how many brothers and sisters she has."

"May I have this dance?" Victoria, the pretty brunette, asked Reid. She held her hand out to him.

Reid looked at Anna who smiled her permission. Reid took Victoria's hand and led her onto the dance floor.

"Care to dance with your big brother?" Teddy asked, walking up to Anna. She had to stop herself from looking around for Hotch as she smiled and nodded. She let Teddy lead them onto the floor.

Teddy moved them deeper and deeper into the crowd, making polite conversation with the couples as they went, ever the politician. He failed to notice Anna's face growing paler as the crowd grew thicker. She bit her bottom lip hard to bring her breathing under control. Someone brushed up against her back, causing her to tremble.

Hotch had been watching Anna with growing concern. He saw her clamming up and his stomach clenched. He tried to get Reid's attention by hissing, "Reid!"

But Reid was a bit too far away and the music was a bit too loud for him to hear Hotch. Hotch's near panicked tone, however, had drawn the attentions of Garcia and Morgan who were standing nearby. They both looked to what had Hotch's attention and saw Anna now white as a ghost. Her brother was talking to the man beside them and hadn't noticed anything. Hotch went to take a step forward when he was stopped by Morgan brushing past him.

Morgan expertly sleeked through the crowd. He reached Anna and Teddy to find Anna's eyes closed and her breathing heavy. He cut in between the two of them with a polite nod to Teddy. Teddy barely noticed, too involved in his conversation. He quickly found another dance partner in his arms.

"Anna," Morgan whispered into her ear. "Anna, open your eyes and look at me."

Anna opened her eyes, breathing a huge sigh of relief when she saw him smiling at her.

"Stay close. I'm going to get you out of here."

Shivering, Anna tucked into him, laying her head into his neck, breathing in his scent to calm herself. Anna closed her again and let Morgan twirl them through the crowd. He made it look so natural that no one had any idea what had transpired other than Hotch, JJ, Rossi, Garcia, and Morgan.

"Are you okay?" Hotch asked when Morgan made his way back to the group.

Anna shook her head, still gripping Morgan tight. "I need to go, right now."

"We'll get you a cab." Morgan kissed her temple to calm her.

"My car's here. Can you make sure Spencer gets home, please?" Anna looked at Hotch, whose entire body was tense. "I'll be okay, Hotch. I just need to be out of here. I'll call Mrs. Nickson on my way home to let her know I'm coming."

"Okay," Hotch agreed, "but we're having a talk tomorrow."

"Looking forward to it." Anna rolled her eyes, the sarcasm allowing her to regain her composure. She clutched Morgan's hand in hers as they quickly left the hotel. She was quiet as he drove home, staring mindlessly out the window, though she kept her hand firmly in his. She changed into pajamas and checked on the boys while Morgan made sure Mrs. Nickson got to her okay. He found her on the couch, her knees drawn to her chest.

"Are you ready to talk about it?" Morgan asked, sitting down next to her.

"No." She shifted under his scrutiny. "It was a stressful situation being with my family and then all of you showing up. The crowded dance floor was just too much. That's all. I just want to forget about it; forget about the whole night."

Morgan wasn't happy, but he agreed to drop the subject for now, pushing down the doubting voices in the back of his head. He stayed with her until JJ and Hotch arrived home, promising to return in the morning with her car. Anna went to bed right after he left to avoid a second talk with Hotch, leaving Hotch and JJ alone in the living room.

"This was definitely a different night," JJ commented to break the silence.

Hotch turned to her with half a smile. "Just think, this afternoon we worried about whether to grab pizza or Chinese."

"Do you think Strauss helped to set this all up?"

"Does it really matter?"

JJ shrugged. She moved to the stairs, pausing on the bottom step. "For what it's worth, I had a lot of fun with you tonight."

"I had a lot of fun with you, too," Hotch told her. He kept the silly grin on his face as he watched her walk up the stairs. He went into the kitchen to grab a drink.

"This was either the best idea or the worst idea that Anna has ever come up with," he said aloud to himself, remembering the feel of JJ in his arms. "Here's hoping it's one of her best."


	12. Of Lazy Days and Cookies

Hotch awoke semi-consciously to the sound of his son's bedroom opening. He listened as Jack's footsteps led him to Henry's room. He heard the door to Henry's room open, followed by the sound of two sets of footsteps running from Henry's room down the stairs. As Anna wished them a "good morning," Hotch drifted back to sleep, dreaming of dancing with JJ in his arms.

He woke a second time to the smell of pancakes, bacon, and eggs. His stomach growling prevented any chance of going back to sleep. He groaned as he got out of bed, the late night taking a toll on his body. Hotch quickly brushed his teeth and dressed before heading to the kitchen. He was amazed, once again, how much Anna and JJ had managed to unpack in the week they had been in the house. Only a few personal touches remained.

"Good morning, Daddy!" Jack shouted as Hotch walked into the kitchen.

"Morning, Motch!" Henry added enthusiastically. He and Jack were sitting on the kitchen island, their feet dangling while Anna stood at the stove cooking bacon and pancakes. She kept one eye on the boys at all times.

"Good morning," Hotch told them, kissing each of their foreheads. He helped them down from the island and into chairs at the table. Henry climbed over to him as soon as Hotch sat down.

"Morning, everyone," JJ mumbled, stumbling into the kitchen bleary-eyed. In her confused state, she kissed the tops of Jack's, Henry's, and Hotch's heads. Hotch froze in surprise causing Jack to giggle. JJ walked to Anna who was waiting with a cup of coffee and a smirk. "Can I help you with something?"

"No, I'm all done," Anna told her.

JJ sighed in euphoria as she took her first sip of coffee. She looked at Anna. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

"No reason." Anna bit her lip to keep from laughing, realizing JJ had no idea what she had done. Anna placed food on the table and sat down herself. "You guys don't have plans today, right?"

Hotch and JJ glanced at each other before answering, "No."

"Great. I'm heading out for the day." Off their curiosity, she added, "I have some more explaining to do to Derek. I have some explaining to do to a lot of you, but I think I need to start with him. And, no, big brother, I haven't forgotten that we need to talk."

"Okay," Hotch assured her.

Anna hurriedly ate her breakfast and left the house soon after she was dressed. JJ took the boys upstairs to get ready for the day while Hotch cleaned the kitchen. They all met in the living room. JJ put in a movie, sitting on the couch while Jack and Henry sat on the floor playing with cars. Hotch stretched out on the other couch, his eyes drifting between the television, the boys, and JJ. By lunchtime, Jack and Henry were both laying on Hotch while on their third movie. Rather then disturb her boys, JJ offered to make lunch. She took Henry up for his nap right afterward relieved that he seemingly went down easy for a change.

JJ walked into the kitchen where Hotch and Jack were still sitting at the kitchen table. They were both bent over piece of paper in deep concentration. Jack had a crayon in his hand and his tongue sticking out of the side of his mouth. She walked over to the table to see what they were engrossed in, placing a hand on Jack's head.

"JJ," Jack lifted his up to look at her, "what color are the flowers in the front of the house?"

"Uh, I don't know. It's too early for the flowers to come up yet."

Jack sighed. "That's what Daddy said."

"What are you doing there, Jack?" JJ asked him, exchanging a glance with Hotch.

"I'm trying to draw a family picture. See, that's Daddy and Henry: they're playing with Henry's cars. And that's you and me: we're holding hands to go on a walk. And that's Anna: she's on the porch, watching over all of us."

JJ felt tears form in the back of her eyes. "It's beautiful, Jack."

"But it's not right. It's suppose to be warm out and I don't know what color the flowers are going to be."

She sat down next to him. "Do you know what the great thing about pictures that you make on your own? You get to color stuff anyway you want. In fact," she grabbed a piece of paper and a green crayon, "I think I'm going to draw the sky green and the grass purple."

Jack giggled at her while Hotch shot her a grateful look. He was trying to curb his son's perfectionist ways with little luck. Jack was too much his father's son at times. Taking JJ's suggestion to heart, Jack began to color the flowers gray with green and orange centers. Hotch grabbed his own piece of paper and began to draw trees of blue, red, and purple leaves.

"Daddy!" Henry screeched, startling them all. "Daddy! Daddy!"

"I got him," Hotch told JJ, placing a hand on her arm as he rose from the table. Hotch hurried upstairs to Henry's room. The toddler was sitting in the middle of his bed, crying for his father. Hotch sat on the bed, pulling Henry onto his lap, and rocked him back and forth to sooth him.

"Daddy. Monster," Henry whimpered into Hotch's neck. "Daddy."

"Did the monster chase your daddy?" Hotch asked him gently. He kissed the top of Henry's head when he felt Henry nod. "That was a very scary dream. Monsters didn't get your daddy, Henry. Monsters aren't real. Your daddy loves you. He's watching you from heaven. Mommy loves you. Jack loves you. Anna loves you. I love you. We're not going to let anything happen to you."

"Love you, Motch," Henry replied, drifting off to sleep, secure in Hotch's arms. Hotch continued to rock him until he heard Henry's breaths deepen. Hotch moved to lay him down only to have Henry begin to stir. Hotch lay down on the bed, tucking Henry close to his chest.

JJ found them in the same position twenty minutes later. She covered them both with the blanket Henry had kicked to the floor. She leaned down and gave Henry a kiss on his forehead. JJ brushed a piece of hair from Hotch's face before impulsively kissing his forehead, too. Cheeks tinging pink, she quickly left the room, missing the smile that appeared on Hotch's face.

"Is Daddy sleeping?" Jack asked, appearing beside JJ as she closed the door to Henry's room.

"Yes. Did you need something?"

Jack shook his head. "Can we watch another movie? Just you and me?"

"Sure." JJ held his hand as they wandered down to the living room. JJ popped in the movie that Jack picked out before cuddling with him on the couch.

"Henry misses his daddy, doesn't he?" Jack asked after awhile.

JJ forced herself not to tense up. "He does."

"Is that why he has tantrums sometimes?"

"Henry's sad and confused. He's too little to know what to do about that so he acts out with tantrums and bad dreams and biting."

Jack thought that over in his head. "Henry can share my daddy anytime he needs to. My daddy loves Henry and Henry loves him. He can be like my brother like Uncle Spencer's my uncle!"

JJ kissed the top of his head, feeling overwhelmed by the amount of pride she felt for the small boy in her arms. "Thank you, Jack. You are the sweetest boy in the world."

Jack shook his head as he was drawn back into the movie once again. Hotch and Henry joined them fresh from their naps before the movie was over, but this time when the boys joined up, they were no longer content to relax. First, they brought out their cars and ran them over everything in the living room, including Hotch and JJ. Next, the brought out their blocks and demanded help building a city. After that, they wanted to play soccer outside and would not be satisfied until both parents were outside with them. After soccer, it was back to cars, then superheroes, then time-outs for both boys: Jack for not sharing, Henry for hitting. Next up was dinner which Henry insisted on helping with while Jack decided he wanted to paint. After dinner, which nearly ended in a food fight, it was back to cars, blocks, superheroes, cars, and coloring before it was finally time for baths and bed.

Hotch entered the living room to find JJ sitting on the couch, staring out of the doors. There was nothing on in the living rooms sans a single table lamp. He gazed out of the doors for a bit, but saw nothing but the backyard.

"I'm enjoying the quiet," JJ explained to Hotch's inquisitive brow. She waited for him to sit on the couch, too, before shifting so they were shoulder to shoulder.

"Is it wrong that I'm looking forward to Anna being here tomorrow to help corral the boys?" Hotch asked after awhile.

JJ laughed, her vibrations sending shoots of warmth through his body. "I thought it was just me. I love our boys, but they're a handful."

"And half of this day was spend watching movies. I have no idea how she does this every day."

"Easy. She has magical powers." They both laughed. JJ lay her head on his shoulder. Hotch wrapped his arm around her, playing with the ends of her golden locks. JJ sighed contently. "I'm glad Anna got us to move in together. I can't imagine how today with Henry would have gone without his 'Motch.' Thank you."

"JJ, you don't have to thank me. I fell in love with that kid the minute I saw him in the hospital after he was born simply because he's yours."

JJ shifted, her mind racing with all the potential implications in his statement.

Hotch continued, "You say you're grateful for everything that Jack and I have done the last couple of months, but you and Henry have been doing that for us for over a year. I have no doubt that Jack and I wouldn't be as okay as we are without you."

"Anna-"

"Anna is great," Hotch cut her off. "I have no idea how I would have been able to remain in the BAU without her after Jessica moved, but you're the one who forced us out of the house on weekends so we weren't moping around. You're the one who called at random intervals during the week just to check in, who made sure you had all of Jack's activities on your calendar so that I wouldn't miss anything, who made sure that I went home at a reasonable hour when it would have been so easy to lose myself in work. There were days when your smile was the only thing that got me through the day."

"Hotch, I..." JJ's voice trailed off as tears filled her eyes. He pulled away just far enough to see her. Hotch placed a hand on either side of her face, wiping her tears away with his thumb.

He leaned down and place a sweet kiss on her lips, lingering just long enough to taste the mint of her chapstick. "Thank you. For everything."

Hotch released her face and pulled her into a hug afraid to let her see the love that he was certain was in his eyes. He was often told that his eyes betrayed his true emotions even as his face and voice gave nothing away.

JJ held onto him tighter when she felt him start to pull away. She was afraid her heart might burst from the fury of emotions swirling inside it. She had convinced herself back in December that she had simply had a crush on her boss brought on by the insanity of the previous year, but that's not what she felt sitting here on this couch in his arms. She thought it was simply gratitude that caused Hotch to become so close to her the last year and a half, that caused the few kisses they shared, but that's not what she glimpsed in his eyes, heard under his typical monotone voice. Reluctantly, she let him go when her back began to complain about its position.

"No more 'thank yous' about being in each others lives," Hotch said, firmly. "I think we're both here to stay."

"Absolutely. We're a family: a bit atypical, but it's ours."

"Damn straight."

They fell into a comfortable silence, once again sitting shoulder to shoulder until they heard the front door open. Anna stopped to set the alarm before joining them in the living room. She was smiling though her eyes were slightly wary.

"Did you have a nice day?" JJ asked her as she sat down.

Anna nodded. "It was good. Yours?"

Hotch and JJ smirked at each other before he answered, "You're going to be around tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah?"

"We don't know what we'd do without you," JJ told her as an explanation. Anna knitted her eyebrows in confusion but didn't ask anything else about it.

Hotch leaned forward. "Are you ready for our talk or should we wait until tomorrow?"

"No. Let's do it now."

"Guess that's my cue to leave," JJ said.

Anna shook her head. "You should probably be involved in this, too. Let me start out by saying I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the gala and my family's involvement in it; my involvement in it. I wasn't lying in the way you think."

"What way were you lying then?" Hotch asked her.

"I was trying to protect you. I was trying to protect me. That, last night, was them being incredibly nice. They are the most petty, vindictive group of people that I have ever had the displeasure to know. When we moved back to Pittsburgh, I didn't miss any of them."

"I've always known that you didn't get along with your family."

Anna fiddled with her fingers. "Do you know they call my kidnapping 'the incident?' I didn't tell you because I don't want to think about them anymore than I absolutely have to. I didn't tell you because I don't want to see that look of pity that's on both your faces."

"Anna-"

"Mommy! Mommy!" Henry cried out from his bed.

JJ smiled reassuringly at them both. "I better go get him."

"Anna," Hotch said, quietly as JJ left the room. She was focused on the patch of floor beneath her feet. "I'm sorry about the looks of pity. It's just that we love you and think you deserve better. Have you thought about not going?"

"Yeah, but there's my grandmother and it's the only time I see my nieces and nephews anymore."

"I can understand that, just... try not to hide things from me, okay? It worries me."

Anna looked up at him and nodded. "Okay."

"I'm going to hit the sack. See you in the morning."

Again, Anna nodded. She watched as Hotch left the room and heard him march up the stairs. She sighed miserably, leaning her head against the back of the couch.

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"Happy Anniversary!" Henry and Jack shouted as Hotch and JJ sat down at the table for breakfast after a late night at the office. Hotch and JJ glanced at each other, perplexed. They turned their attention to Anna when she placed two plates of "birthday pancakes" on the table.

"You've been officially living together for two months," Anna explained. She shrugged when they continued to stare at her. "Don't look at me. You're the ones who let them hang out with Penelope last week. We've been celebrating anniversaries all week. At least, this one's a real one."

"Happy... Anniversary, Hotch," JJ told him, awkwardly.

Hotch raised his orange juice glass to her. "Same to you. Here's to many more."

JJ blushed slightly. Since their kiss on the couch nearly two months ago, Hotch had pulled away from her in subtle ways. He was rarely alone with her unless there was some sort of task to be done like cleaning the kitchen or driving home from work. He continued to smile and talk, but the deep confessions had disappeared. The little touches on her arm, her shoulder, her back had ceased and JJ found she missed them greatly. She knew all the reasons they shouldn't embark on anything further than friendship, had debated them both in her head and with Anna, but she found her mind wandering to the feel of his lips on hers whenever she was daydreaming, when she was drifting off to sleep.

"Ah, JJ?" Anna said, shaking her shoulder. JJ looked up and found everyone staring at her. "Would you like some coffee?"

"Sure," she replied. "Sorry, it was-"

"A late night?" Anna supplied.

"Yeah." JJ shifted uncomfortably when she realized she was on the end of one of Anna's soul peering gazes. Anna smiled at her before turning to grab the coffee.

"So, what's on the agenda today?" Hotch asked the room in between bites of pancake.

JJ groaned. "Cookies. We have to make cookies for the picnic tomorrow."

Jack bounced up and down in his seat. "Yay! Cookies! Can me and Henry help? We love making cookies. Right, Henry?"

Henry nodded enthusiastically, his mouth full of whipped cream.

"Yes, you can help," JJ assured them, which is how she found herself in the kitchen that afternoon with Hotch and the two boys, ingredients spread out all over the countertops.

"Jack, stop eating the candy," Hotch ordered, as Jack snatched another handful of M&Ms from the bowl on the kitchen counter. Jack giggled.

JJ sighed as she took a spoon from Henry's grasp to stop him from trying to mix cookie dough. "Don't you guys want to go watch a movie or play or something?"

"No!" both boys shouted together.

"Why did we agree to this?" Hotch asked JJ.

"We didn't. Garcia signed us up to do the desserts - homemade - and promised to help, only to cancel for a romantic getaway with Kevin."

Jack grabbed another bite of candy. "What's a ro'tic get'way?"

"A romantic getaway is when two adults who love each other very much go on a trip together, just the two of them," Anna explained, breezing into the kitchen. She ran a critical eye over the mess in the kitchen. "How's the great cookie caper going?"

"It would be a lot smoother without our helpers," JJ muttered, though she smiled at the boys.

"Oh, Henry!" Hotch exclaimed as Henry knocked a bowl of batter to the ground, spilling it everywhere.

Anna clapped her hands together. "Jack, Henry, let's go. It looks like we're going to need some more supplies."

She picked Henry up from the chair and grabbed Jack's hand. "We'll be back in a few cookie batches."

Hotch and JJ both breathed a sigh of relief when they heard the front door closed and broke out into laughter.

"There are days I'm half in love with our nanny," JJ commented. Her jaw dropped at the half-aroused look on his face. "Hotch!"

Hotch chuckled. "Sorry. Sometimes even I am a guy."

"Yeah, but your sister? I mean, granted she's not your bio-"

"Oh, oh! She wasn't in there!" Hotch cut her off emphatically.

JJ blinked, before a mischievous smile crept across her face. "So, who was in that little fantasy with me?"

"I, uh, I-I-," Hotch's face grew increasingly red the more he stuttered.

"Come on, Hotch. We're friends; best friends. I'm standing in the kitchen. It's hot from the oven and I'm sweating, just a bit. Suddenly, a feminine hand touches my shoulder. I turn around and who's standing there in your head?"

Hotch covered his face with a groan. "I hate you."

JJ was laughing so hard she was doubled over. It felt good to be flirting with Hotch again. She didn't realize just how much she depended on it to put a smile on her face until he had stopped. Hotch's eyes danced seeing JJ's face glowing. He knew he had pulled away from her, knew it had done it to save their family, but seeing her so happy tugged at his heartstrings. He wanted to put that smile on her face all the time.

Hotch paused from removing the cookies from the tray when he heard JJ singing softly to the song. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye so as to not startle her. JJ, however, sensed his stillness and blush furiously, wondering briefly why she was so easily embarrassed today.

"I like this song," she said, defensively.

"It's pretty." Hotch grabbed her hand, pulling her close, unable to keep her away any longer. He left one hand on her back and the other holding hers as he gently twirled them around the kitchen. "You have a beautiful voice."

"No, I don't," JJ protested, shaking her head as she drew closer to him.

Hotch leaned down close to her ear, "Yes, you do."

JJ's breath hitched as his lips touch the top of her ear. She pulled back just enough to see his eyes. There was nothing but want and vulnerability in them. JJ's tongue darted out to lick her lips, feeling her entire body flush. She watched as Hotch lowered his lips to hers. His lips were soft, moist. JJ closed her eyes as Hotch ran tongue teasingly over her lips, darting in her mouth just long enough to toy with her teeth. He moved his hands to grasp her upper arms, tracing circles with his thumbs. Only when JJ opened her mouth fully to him did he stop and try to pull away.

"I'm sorry," he said, panting slightly. "I was just... I mean, it was just..."

JJ stopped him with another kiss, gentle and firm, mentally begging him not to run from her. "Hotch, don't analyze it. Just let it have happened."

Neither of them noticed Jack, Henry, and Anna standing at the kitchen door, peering in. Jack was grinning widely, Henry looked confused, and Anna eyes grew wide in worry. While she supported and even pushed to have Hotch and JJ get together, she didn't want to involve the boys in anything until both Hotch and JJ were all in. Anna urged Jack and Henry away.

"Anna, does this mean that Daddy and my JJ are going to get married now?" Jack asked her, eagerly.

"Married?" Henry repeated, but his enthusiasm was based strictly on Jack's.

Anna rubbed her face, stalling for time. She put both boys on the truck of her car, placing a hand on each of their knees as she stood in front of them. She smiled when they both watched her in anticipation.

"I love you guys."

"We love you, too, Anna," Jack told her as Henry nodded.

"Your daddy and mommy love you guys very much. They love each other too, but as friends. Sometimes, when adults are friends, they... kiss each other like your daddy and JJ did, but it doesn't mean that they're going to get married."

Jack frowned. "But only married people are suppose to kiss. Everyone knows that."

Anna stifled a chuckle. "Mr. Derek and I have kissed and we're not married."

"Not yet, but JJ said 'maybe someday.'"

Anna breathed in sharply over that one and quickly changed angles. "Do you remember the Christmas party and the mistletoe?"

"Yeah?"

"And do you remember how all of the adults were kissing under the mistletoe?"

"Yeah. They kissed me and Henry, too. But there's no mistletoe in the kitchen."

"No," Anna replied, honestly, cursing his intelligence, "but my point is that the people kissing weren't married either because sometimes grown-ups just kiss each other because they're friends."

Jack huffed. "Grown-ups are difficult."

This time Anna did laugh aloud. "Your parents are very good friends. No matter what happens, whether they marry other people some day or stay this way forever, JJ will always be your JJ, Jack. And Hotch will always be your Motch. They will always, always love you and will always, always be there for you. Do you understand?"

Henry turned to Jack, waiting for his reaction as he had lost the conversation at the beginning. Jack pursed his lips in thought looking so much like Hotch that Anna shook her head. "We're always going to be a family?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Can we go finish cookies now?"

"Sure, but let's not tell your parents that we saw them kissing. That might make them uncomfortable." Anna put them both on the ground again. "And let's sing a song really loud as we go into the house this time."

Anna marched the boys into the house loudly singing "The Alphabet Song." They found JJ pulling the last batch of cookies out of the oven while Hotch was finishing cleaning up the mess. They both jumped when the boys came through the door, eyes not quite meeting.

"Aw, you finished?" Jack whined. "We bought more stuff."

JJ hugged him. "That just means we can save it for another day and get to keep the cookies all to ourselves."

"Why don't we go put a movie in while we wait for the cookies to cool down?" Hotch suggested. "We made enough to have some tonight."

"Yay! Come on, Henry!" Jack shouted, leading Henry out of the kitchen. Henry chanted "cookies" over and over as he went.

"Everything okay?" Hotch asked Anna, noticing she was staring at the cupboard with an intense look on her face.

Anna nodded. "Just completely lost in thought. I'm going to help the boys pick out a dvd."

"Okay."

"What was that all about?" JJ asked when Anna left the kitchen.

Hotch finished putting away the rest of the groceries. "I have no idea. She'll talk when she's ready. Let's go watch a movie."

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Rossi looked up at the knock on his office door. Anna stood in the doorway, her red curls flowing around her shoulders. She was smiling as always, but he caught a glimpse of tiredness under her sparkling eyes. Rossi was amazed once again how she managed to look both young and old in the same expression.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Rossi asked her. He rose from his seat to give her a kiss on her forehead.

Anna followed him into his office, sitting in one of the open chairs. "I dropped the boys off to Hotch so they could all do lunch and thought I'd stop by to say hi."

"All four of them doing lunch?" Anna nodded. "One big happy family."

Anna shrugged, but remained buttoned-up.

"Okay, kiddo. What's going on with you?"

"What do you mean?"

Rossi moved from his chair to the one next to her. "Normally, this type of thing would make you all kinds of giddy, but you barely have a reaction."

Anna took a deep breath. "Do you think I pushed Hotch and JJ together? That I caused them to become so close?"

"No." Rossi shook his head. "Hotch and JJ have always had a close relationship. They work together more than anyone else on the team. They're the only ones with kids. JJ feels more comfortable talking to Hotch about personal things more than she does the rest of us."

"I know they're friends, but am I trying to force them into something more?"

"Where is this coming from?"

Anna rubbed her eyes with her palms. "A couple of weeks ago, the day before the picnic, the boys and I caught Hotch and JJ kissing in the kitchen while they were making cookies."

Rossi's eyes lit up. "Oh, really?"

She nodded. "Now, Jack wants to know if Hotch and JJ are getting married. If they end up involved with other people, it could break Jack's heart. I just want to protect that little boy, both of those boys. Did I cause this situation?"

"Anna, listen to me." Rossi leaned forward and captured his wrists. "You didn't cause this. I think there was always latent feelings between the two of them. It was bound to come out eventually. You didn't create this situation. You've only been trying to help them realize what their subconscious already knew."

"But Jack-"

"Jack knew there was something between Hotch and JJ before you came along. It's part of the reason he latched onto her so hard. He instinctively knew how much his daddy cared and trusted her."

"What do I do now?"

"What did you tell Jack when he saw them?"

Anna shrugged. "That sometimes friends kiss, that it doesn't mean anything. I told him that no matter what happens that they'll always be a family."

"Just keep telling him that. He'll be fine. Jack's a smart kid." Rossi leaned back, releasing her wrists. "Did you tell Hotch and JJ that you caught them kissing?"

"Oh, God, no! They'll completely panic!"

Rossi smiled. "You're pretty smart yourself. Stop trying to take all of this on. You're not responsible for every bad thing that happens, no matter how much your family tries to make you feel otherwise."

"You're pretty smart for an old guy." Anna flashed him her best smart ass smile.

"Ouch. I see how it is. Well, how about you take this old guy out for some lunch?"

"I'd love to." Anna hugged him when they both rose.

"What was that for?"

Anna shrugged again. "For being you."

Rossi hugged her tighter and kissed the top of her head. "That was for being you. Come on. Let's go."


	13. Of Karaoke and Lunches

"There they are," Garcia said, pushing her way through the crowded bar with Kevin and Prentiss close behind her. Anna had gotten them all to go out drinking as Henry was with his grandmother for the weekend and Jack was spending time with Jessica. She had squelched any reluctance by pointing out that she was the lone person to remain sober at the holiday party and it was her time to cut loose.

"Penelope!" Anna shouted when she saw Garcia. Anna ran and hugged Garcia, then Prentiss, then Kevin. She was wearing a royal blue tank top that hugged her figure. "Let's get drinking!"

Prentiss sat down next to JJ. "How much has she had to drink?"

"Nobody knows. She and Reid have been here two hours already and he didn't count," JJ laughed, adjusting her maroon shirt that was riding up her stomach. Her cheeks were red from the alcohol herself.

"How much have you had to drink?"

JJ just grinned at her.

"Just a warning, guys," Reid said, his finger slowly pointing at them. "She makes you do shots."

"Damn straight!" Anna agreed, rubbing Reid's head. "Nobody has kids, nobody has a case, nobody has anything to do tonight except drink it up. And I don't get out much anymore, so this is months of pent up energy."

"Here you go, Anna," the dark-haired bartender said, placing nine shot glasses onto the table.

"This is my buddy, Josh," Anna told them, grabbing his arm. "If you need anything, he's the guy to go to. Thanks, Josh."

Josh smiled and walked back to the bar. All female eyes watching his backside as he went.

"You know, I'm not really a shots person," Kevin protested, bringing attention back to the table.

"It does no good to fight her," Hotch told him, walking up to the group with Morgan by his side. They had been out on the dance floor under the urging of JJ and Anna. Hotch finished off the rest of his beer.

"Hotch, are you drunk?" Garcia asked in awe. She knew he was drunk at the holiday party, but didn't remember most of it due to her own drunken state. Hotch merely shrugged with a silly grin.

"Grab a shot," Anna ordered. She waited until they all had shot glasses in their hands. "Bottoms up!"

Anna slammed her glass down and watched as one of the girls from a few tables over walked towards them. She was wearing a skin tight green tank top and black leggings. Her brown hair was teased to the point of looking crispy and she wore heavy green eyeshadow. She ran a critical eye over all the women at the table before landing her gaze on Hotch.

"Hey," she said.

He stiffened and took half a step back into Prentiss, who scrambled to not spill her beer. "Hello."

She giggled. JJ looked at Anna in disgust. They both rolled their eyes.

The woman placed a hand on Hotch's upper arm. "I saw you out there dancing. Would you-"

"Back off, barbie. He's with her," Anna warned, pointing to JJ. The girl glared at Anna before turning and leaving. Anna looked around at their shocked faces. "I didn't like her. She's been eyeballing us since she got here. Did you see the looks she gave us?"

"So, you tell her Hotch and I are together?" JJ asked, her voice slightly higher than normal.

Anna raised her shoulders. "You were the first one I saw. Besides, it's not like he's complai- Ow!"

Anna turned around to see Rossi standing behind her. He had elbowed her in the back to get her to shut up. Between their talk a few weeks ago and the amount of alcohol she had consumed, it seemed Anna was feeling better about her role as matchmaker, but Rossi could see how uncomfortable it was making Hotch and JJ.

"You made it," Hotch said, relieved to have the attention off of him.

"I did. What are we drinking?" Rossi asked.

"What aren't we drinking?" Reid countered.

Anna placed a glass in his hand. "I got your scotch already here."

Rossi kissed her forehead. "That's my girl."

"Did you get-"

"The limo?" he finished, a twinkle in his eye. "It's on standby. So, everyone, feel free to drink up. We have a safe way home."

"Who wants to get back out there with me?" Morgan asked, looking around the table. He pouted slightly at Anna, who only shook her head at him with a smirk. Garcia took pity on him, snatching his hand to drag him onto the dance floor.

Prentiss snagged Anna's arm. "I thought you liked to dance?"

"I do. I'll get out there eventually. I need to make sure you guys are drinking properly. And I need to make sure my bosses," Anna put an arm around Hotch and the other around JJ, "are having a great time."

"We're having a good time," JJ assured her. Hotch eyed her warily.

"Hotch, you should take JJ out... on the dance floor."

"Before some other floozy tries to take him," Kevin added. He fidgeted when they all looked at him. He wasn't much of a drinker and he was already several shots and a daiquiri in.

"Anyway...

Hotch cleared his throat warningly. "Anna."

"Right." Anna grabbed another shot and downed it. She turned her attention away from Hotch and JJ to Reid and Prentiss. She missed jerk of her head that JJ gave to Hotch to point him towards the back of the bar where a small stage stood. Hotch grinned mischievously at her before quietly slipping away. He returned to the table with no one other than JJ realizing he had been absent. He high-fived her under the table.

"Alright, folks," the DJ announced, killing the music. "It's time for a little karaoke."

"There's karaoke?" Anna panicked.

Prentiss chuckled at her. "You didn't know that?"

"I didn't pick this bar!" Anna felt her heart fall into her stomach. Garcia and Morgan returned from the dance floor, joining the others at the table.

"Our first victim is Anna McCrea!" the DJ shouted.

Hotch leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Payback's a bitch."

"I hate you." Anna downed another of the shots on the table. She breathed in deeply and plastered a smile on her face. There was no way she was going to let Hotch win this one. She whispered to the DJ before standing on the stage. "I'd like to dedicate this to my two wonderful bosses. This song is for you, guys."

"Oh, no," Hotch groaned, suddenly realizing he made a tactical error.

Anna smirked at Hotch's panicked expression and winked at JJ before beginning to sing, "I got a funny feeling, the moment that your lips touched mine."

"She didn't!" JJ exclaimed, her cheeks growing flush. Garcia and Prentiss glanced at her, confused.

"Something shot right through me, my heart skipped a beat in time," Anna continued.

"Why did she dedicate this song to you?" Morgan asked JJ, perplexed. JJ could only shake her head and look towards Hotch. Rossi and Reid glanced at each briefly before turning their attention to the drinks in their hands.

"There's a different feel about you tonight

It's got me thinkin' lots of crazy things

I even think I saw a flash of light

It felt like electricity.

You shouldn't kiss me like this

Unless you mean it like that

Cause I'll just close my eyes

And I won't know where I'm at

We'll get lost on this dance floor

Spinnin' around

And around

And around

And around!"

"Oh!" Prentiss and Garcia exclaimed suddenly.

"Oh, what?" Morgan demanded. Garcia jerked her chin towards Hotch and JJ, who were trying desperately to not look at each other.

"They're all watchin' us now

They think we're falling in love

They'd never believe we're just friends"

"Oh!" Morgan shouted as he realized what Prentiss and Garcia had realized. He chuckled at Kevin's blank face.

"When you kiss me like this

I think you mean it like that

If you do baby kiss me again."

Hotch rounded on Rossi as Anna's singing continued, pulling him slightly away from the rest of the group. "What do you know about this?"

"I just heard that you had a penchant for cookies is all," Rossi replied with a smirk. "I think the real question is why have you done anything about your feelings for that girl."

"What are you talking about?" Hotch spat.

Rossi raised an eyebrow at him. "You do realize who you're talking to, don't you? Anna's not the only one who can pick up your subtle cues. You've been falling for JJ for over a year."

Hotch looked frantically back at the table. JJ was firmly focused on Anna, avoiding the curious glances of the others.

"They don't know. Well, Reid knows, but that's because Anna told him. Don't get angry. You wouldn't have a clue if I hadn't said anything. Reid can keep a secret when he wants to."

"Why is she doing this to me?" Hotch was rubbing his forehead.

"She's not doing this to you. She's doing this for you." Rossi turned and studied Anna. She was still smiling through the song, but he could see the tension in her eyes, knowing she may had pushed too far. "You are her idol; her amazing big brother. She just wants you to be happy. She sees how happy JJ makes you. Anna only wants what's best for you. Granted, sometimes her methods are flawed."

Hotch snorted derisively.

"Go easy on the kid. She's had a hard couple of months... and she's drunk. She'll apologize tomorrow when she realizes what she's done. In the meantime, play it off as a joke. I know somewhere in there you remember how to joke."

Hotch hesitated for a moment before dipping his head with a shrug. They returned to the table as Anna left the stage. She bit the bottom of her lip as she neared them and abruptly turned towards the bar. Reid moved to go after her, but was stopped by Hotch's hand on his shoulder. Hotch nodded to JJ and the two of them went to the bar after Anna.

"I'm sorry. I was out of line," Anna told them, sincerely.

"We kind of goaded you into it," JJ admitted. "We know how much you hate singing in public."

"I still shouldn't have ratted you out about the kiss."

"No, you shouldn't," Hotch said, firmly. "But let's just forget about it and have a good time."

"In just a few minutes," JJ added. "You saw our kiss?"

Anna took a deep breath. "No. The boys and I saw you kiss the day we were making cookies. I know there's been other kisses."

"The boys?"

Anna downed the shot the bartender brought her. "We had just gotten back from the store and were standing at the door when we saw you kiss. I took the boys back to the car so we could talk. I told them sometimes friends kiss like with the mistletoe."

"Exactly. Sometimes, you just get caught up in a moment," JJ rushed to agree.

"A moment," Hotch repeated, nodding his head.

"Oh, God," JJ said suddenly. "This is why Jack's been obsessed with weddings lately, isn't it? He stops at every bridal shop we past. He wanted to know where people got married and who was the wedding and what they were called and how people decided to get married."

Anna could see the panic rising in both Hotch and JJ and could practically feel them putting up walls. She needed to put a stop to it before they completely shut themselves off. "No! That playgroup that Jack's in, the one that meets every Wednesday, there's a set of twins whose mother is getting married in the fall. It's all they talk about. It's spread to all the kids."

"Okay. Okay," JJ whispered to herself. She smiled when she felt Hotch squeeze her shoulder.

"Can we please go back to having a good time?" Anna begged. "I've got more shots coming. Dave rented us a limo so no one has to drive. I just want to have a lot of fun that I regret in the morning."

"Let's go," Hotch concurred.

The table was watching the three of them with trepidation as Hotch, JJ, and Anna returned to the table. Morgan grabbed Anna and pulled her in front of him, wrapping his arms around her waist. Anna placed her hands over his, leaning back.

"Everything okay?" Morgan asked them.

"Everything's great," Hotch assured them, grabbing his beer from the table.

Garcia leaned in conspiratorially. "So, then, about this kiss?"

Anna pshawed loudly. "Please. That was nothing. Emily and I had a better kiss at Christmastime. These two are just too much fun to embarrass over the little things."

"So, it was nothing?"

"A kiss on the cheek that missed," Anna lied. JJ tossed them a thumbs up when attention turned to her. She was in the middle of downing her beer.

"That's disappointing," Prentiss muttered.

Anna startled them all by reaching out and grabbing Reid's arm, keeping her other hand on Morgan. "Let's go dance! There's a girl over there, Dr. Spencer Reid, who's been staring at you all night."

She pulled Reid and Morgan towards the dance floor. Alarmed, Reid grabbed the nearest arm, dragging Prentiss along with them. Garcia's eyes light up at the spectacle and she manhandled Kevin and JJ out to the dance floor. Rossi stood next to Hotch watching the dancers groove.

"That was a nice little white lie of Anna's," Rossi commented, smoothly sipping his scotch. "Everything good between you guys?"

"Yeah."

"She dances pretty nicely."

Hotch grimaced. "Anna? I'm trying not to watch."

Anna was pressed tight enough against Morgan that Hotch doubted he could get a quarter between them.

Rossi scoffed. "Anna's not who your eyes have been following. JJ has some excellent moves."

"Dave," Hotch growled.

"You better get out there before someone else does." Rossi jerked his head towards a couple of guys standing across the bar, watching the female members of their team. He chuckled as Hotch hurried onto the dance floor, sandwiching himself between JJ and Garcia. It didn't fail his notice or Anna's that JJ leaned happily into Hotch under the guise of getting him in rhythm.

"Alright, folks, let's keep this party going," the DJ said, coming over the speaker system once again. "Up next on stage, David Rossi!"

"Oh, I'm gonna kill that girl," Rossi grumbled to himself before making his way to the stage.

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"Hey, Dr. Spencer Reid," Anna said to Reid, as she walked into the BAU with Jack and Henry. Reid was the only BAU member in the bullpen.

"Hi, Anna," Reid replied. "Hi, Jack. Hi, Henry."

"Hi, Uncle Spencer," Jack said. Henry smiled, shyly. He was reverting back to a shy stage where it took him a few minutes to warm up to anyone who wasn't Anna, JJ, Hotch, or Jack.

Jack jumped up and down seeing Hotch through his office window. "Ooh, there's my dad!"

"Daddy!" Henry shouted.

"Daddy?" Reid repeated, standing up from his chair.

"We're working on it," Anna commented, unconcerned. "Jack, we have to wait until your dad's done with his meeting."

"What's going on?"

"The boys are having a picnic lunch with Hotch and JJ." She glanced down at the boys who were talking to each, lost in their own world. "I think this is their way of spending time together without being alone. They've been doing stuff like this a lot since that night at the bar."

Reid tilted his head, his eyes squinting. "That was like two months ago."

"Yep."

"Okay, thanks," Hotch said, leaving his office. He spotted Anna and the boys. "Hey!"

Anna let go of both Jack and Henry, who ran into Hotch's arms. She leaned against Reid's desk with him, watching the scene unfold.

"Daddy!" they said in unison as he lifted them both.

"Daddy?" Prentiss repeated as she and Rossi walked in.

"We're working on it," Hotch and Anna replied at the same time.

Prentiss exchanged an amused look with Rossi. "Ah."

"We just have to wait for JJ and we can leave," Hotch told the boys.

"Hey, Princess," Morgan said to Anna as he and Garcia walked up behind them. Anna turned and gave him a quick kiss.

Garcia snagged Anna's arm. "You ready to go?"

"Almost," Anna replied, nodding towards Hotch.

Morgan folded his arms, grabbing both their attentions. "And what are you two doing?"

"Going to lunch."

Garcia added, "You guys are welcome to come."

"We're trying out that new burger joint," Prentiss explained further.

"I'm in," Reid agreed.

"Me, too" Morgan said. "What are we doing standing around?"

Anna held up her hands. "Give it a few more moments and you'll see my amusement lately."

They watched as JJ breezed out of her office and over to Hotch and the boys. She hugged both boys tightly.

"You guys ready?" JJ asked, taking Henry from Hotch.

Henry squirmed in JJ's arms. "I want to ride with Daddy."

"Daddy?" Morgan and Garcia repeated.

"We're working on it," JJ and Hotch said together. Anna chuckled.

"Okay, Henry, come see, Motch," Hotch said, putting Jack down and taking Henry. "Jack, take JJ's hand."

Jack beamed as he grabbed JJ's hand. "Okay."

"See ya in two hours," Hotch told Anna.

"I'll be here," she replied, surpressing a smile.

"What was that?" Prentiss asked, laughing along with Garcia, Morgan, and Reid.

"Henry is a little mini-Jack these days. Everything Jack does, Henry does. Jack puts on his own shoes so Henry wants to put on his own shoes. Jack plays with the big boy toys so Henry wants to play with the big boy toys. Jack calls Hotch 'Daddy' so Henry calls Hotch 'Daddy.'"

"That's so cute," Garcia squealed.

Morgan put an arm around Anna. "Oh, I would have paid good money to see Hotch's face the first time that happened."

Anna smiled, widely, remembering the stunned look on both Hotch and JJ's faces. "It was pretty good. Now, they're completely paranoid about it and researching all kinds of ways to stop it. I told them it was all a phase and it would blow over."

"That makes sense," Prentiss agreed.

"It does?" Reid asked.

"Well, yeah, if Henry's in a phase where he does everything that Jack does, he's gonna want to Hotch 'Dad,' but as soon as that phase is over, he'll go back to calling Hotch 'Motch.'"

"Exactly," Anna agreed. "He's only been doing it for about two weeks. He's not even consistent about it. It'll blow over as long as they just keep reaffirming that Hotch is 'Motch.'"

"I suspect that when that happens, Hotch is going to be a bit disappointed," Rossi chimed in, speaking for the first time.

Prentiss rubbed her necked. "Really? You think? I thought they keeping this completely platonic."

"They are certainly trying." Anna clapped her hands together. "Let's go to lunch!"

"You coming, Rossi?" Morgan asked.

"Another time, thanks," Rossi said, walking towards his office.

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"You have got to be kidding me!" Prentiss exclaimed. They were sitting at the restaurant where Anna had just finished telling her version of the kiss in the kitchen.

Anna smiled, a twinkle in her eye. "I kid you not."

"So, who initiated the kiss?"

Anna shrugged. "I have no idea. We saw it in the middle."

"Does it matter?" Reid asked, perplexed.

"Of course, it matters," Garcia told him. "I thought my sugar plum might be getting a crush on the boss-man, especially after the last year, but I didn't put much stock in it. I mean, who doesn't have a little crush on Hotch?"

Slowly, Anna and Reid raised their hands.

"Well, I guess we learned something new today," Prentiss said pointedly to Morgan, who looked at her confused. He had been concentrating on his Blackberry and missed part of the conversation. Morgan scrunched up his face causing Prentiss, Reid, and Anna to all laugh.

"I think it's incredibly sexy that you can admit to having a crush on your male boss," Anna teased him, rubbing his back.

Morgan threw his hands up. "What are you talking about?"

"We were talking about JJ's crush on Hotch and somehow got off-track," Garcia told him.

"Do you think he has a crush on her?" Morgan feigned interest to turn the topic away from himself.

Prentiss pursed her lips, thoughtfully. "He has been keeping her close to him. And they are always sitting next to each other on the plane."

"And they do ride together to and from work and spend almost all their lunches together," Garcia added. "They did agree to move into together awfully fast for two very private, very independent people."

Morgan chuckled. "I thought that was out of sheer single parent desperation."

"That's the problem," Prentiss sighed. "All of these things can be explained away by their circumstance."

"So, what's the real story then?"

Anna squirmed as all eyes turned to her. She had been quiet as this conversation continued. Anna took a deep breath, as if deciding how to answer. "Hotch is in love with JJ. He's been falling for her for over a year."

"A year?" Prentiss, Morgan, and Garcia all repeated.

Morgan turned to Reid. "Why aren't you surprised by this?"

"Because I'm an excellent profiler," Reid retorted. "And because Anna told me."

Morgan turned to Anna with confusion, hurt, and a bit of anger in his eyes, but said nothing. Anna stoutly ignored his scrutiny. She nervously played with her hands, tapping her index and middle fingers on her right hand against her left.

Prentiss took a sip of her water. "So, Hotch has been falling for JJ for over a year."

"But he's scared, scared he'll mess it all up; that he'll lose her forever; that he'll hurt Jack and Henry; that he'll hurt your team; that he'll hurt himself," Anna explained, sadly. The love and grief she felt for Hotch was evident in her tone.

"So, why are you telling us this now?" Morgan near-demanded.

"Because JJ's ready to start dating again."

Reid looked confounded. "Really?"

Garcia patted his cheek. "Of course, sweet cheeks. It's been a year and a half since she and Will broke up and six months since he died. She's a young, beautiful, vibrant woman. She deserves to be happy. She deserves love."

"Does she love Hotch?" Morgan asked, his anger was retreating as the focus turned on Hotch and JJ.

Anna shrugged, looking to Prentiss and Garcia. She believed it to be true, but was not as certain as she was about Hotch's feelings.

Garcia sighed. "She's just such a hard person to read. I mean, we only knew about Will because she left her e-mail up and we were snooping for a birthday gift. She hide her pregnancy for months as well as the break-up between her and Will."

"Let's think about this rationally," Prentiss offered. "The only person JJ told that she broke up with Will last year was Hotch. She began spending most of her weekends at least part of the time with Hotch and Jack and Henry."

"JJ's been keeping as close an eye on Hotch on cases as Hotch has on JJ," Reid commented. He scoffed at the looks he got. "I notice things."

"How many times have they spent the night together?"

Morgan leaned on the table. "Well, there was that night I got really drunk at the hotel. I woke up the next morning and they were curled up on the other bed. The night we all stayed at the BAU, they slept next to each other."

He glanced at Anna with an apology in his eyes when he realized the events that led to them staying there. She shook her head with a slight shrug. "They spent the weekend together when I... fell apart. We all slept in the living room, but they kept getting tangled up together. And of course, the Christmas party..."

"I knew that story wasn't true!" Prentiss tossed a finger at Anna. "Hotch sleeping in your bed while JJ slept in his bed. Ha!"

"He was the only when she wanted after Will died," Garcia said, solemnly. "She just didn't know how to tell the rest of us that so he slept on her bedroom floor until she was okay."

"I think the biggest clue of all is that she agreed to move in with Hotch with very little persuasion," Prentiss concluded. "That's not the cautious, rational JJ that we all know."

Reid also leaned over the table. "So, basically, we're saying that JJ's in love with Hotch just like Hotch is in love with JJ."

Garcia waited a beat before squealing, her hands flailing. "Oh my God! We're going to have a BAU relationship and then an engagement and then a wedding and then a baby!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, baby girl," Morgan chuckled.

"I need help," Anna confessed. "We need to somehow make it okay for them to admit their feelings to each. I'm not really sure how and they're getting suspicious of my actions anyway."

"I have an idea. JJ wants to date? Let's get her a date," Prentiss suggested. "I have a friend who would be perfect. Maybe watching her move on will get Hotch moving."

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"Hey, Anna! Guess what?" Jack shouted as he, Henry, JJ, and Hotch entered the bullpen after lunch. He jumped into Anna's arms. "We got ice cream! And some lady at the park told Daddy that had a 'beautiful family' and Daddy just said 'thank you!'"

"Jack," Hotch admonished, his face growing red, "we don't have to tell Anna everything that happened at lunch."

Jack's face contorted into confusion. "But I tell Anna everything."

"You can tell me later, Jack," Anna whispered. She looked at JJ and Hotch. "How was lunch?"

"Good. I'm glad you're willing to bring them down as often as you do," JJ told her, sincerely. She was trying to take Henry from Hotch, but Henry kept pushing away from her.

"Anytime. We should probably be going, though, and let you get back to work." Anna put Jack on the ground. "Come on, Oh Henry."

Henry grabbed Hotch's neck and held on tight. "No. I wanna stay here with Daddy."

"Motch has to work," JJ told him.

"No."

"Come on, Henry. We can play in the sprinklers at home," Jack offered.

Henry huffed. "No. Wanna stay with Daddy."

Hotch shifted Henry so that they were eye to eye. "Henry, I have to back to work, but if you're very good for Anna, I will read you two stories at bedtime."

"Okay," Henry agreed. He giggled when Hotch kissed his cheek before handing him over to Anna. JJ and Hotch said good-bye to Anna and the boys.

"Oh, good, JJ. You're back," Prentiss said, walking down the stairs. "Garcia and I want to have a girls' night with you and Anna. Are you free this weekend?"

"Um," JJ looked to Hotch, who froze at the question.

Hotch folded his arms, lowering his voice. "I can watch Henry."

"I guess I am."

"Great! I'll let you know all the details. I'm thinking Friday night." Prentiss ran a critical eye over JJ. "Maybe, you should let us dress you. We're going man-hunting."

Prentiss laughed as she walked away towards Garcia's office, leaving JJ and Hotch standing there bewildered. She was still chuckling when she sat down next to Garcia.

"JJ's in," Prentiss told her. "We'll have them together in no time."


	14. Of First Dates and Break-Ups

"What do you think?" JJ asked, coming down the stairs into the living room. Anna, Jack, and Henry looked up at her from where they had been playing on the floor. JJ wore a simple dark blue dress that flair a little from her hips and fell just above her knees. She highlighted the neckline that plunged just enough to be enticing with a string of simple pearls. She left her hair loose and put light curls in it. "It's too much. Do you think it's too much?"

"You look beautiful," Anna told her with a smile. "It's not too much."

Henry nodded. "Pretty!"

"What do you think, Jack?" JJ asked. Jack shrugged, miserably. Anna gave JJ a reassuring smile when she saw JJ's face faltering.

"What's going on?" Hotch asked, walking in from the kitchen with a towel in his hands. His eyes grew wide at seeing JJ in the blue dress. His heart was pounding so loud, he was sure everyone could hear it.

"I'm getting ready to head out," JJ told him. She watched him expectantly.

"Right. Have a good time." Hotch turned and walked back into the kitchen. JJ bit the inside of her lip to hid her disappointment at Hotch's reaction.

Anna stood up, picking Henry up. "You will have an awesome time. Enjoy yourself. I want to hear all about it when you get back."

"Deal." JJ leaned and kissed Henry. "Okay, I have to go. I love you. Bye, Jack. I love you."

"Bye," Jack replied, sourly, causing JJ to sigh as she walked towards the front door.

"Wait!" Anna shouted suddenly. She snapped a picture of JJ on her phone as JJ turned. "I promised Penelope and Emily that I'd get a picture of you. Have lots of fun!"

JJ waved as she pulled the door closed. Anna put Henry back down and walked determinedly into the kitchen. Hotch was standing at the stove, absently stirring pasta. "Really, Hotch?"

"Huh?" he replied, shaking his head to drive away his thoughts.

Anna put her hands on her hips, annoyed with his attitude towards JJ. "This is JJ's first date since Will and you couldn't have helped her out at all?"

"I told her to have a good time." He was beginning to take on a defensive posture.

"In one of the most disapproving ways possible."

Hotch huffed. "Well, what do we really know about this guy?"

"We know that he's a friend of Emily's. We know that he has a good, steady job. We know that he loves kids; that the night JJ met him she thought he was funny and charming. We know that she has had a rough time since she and Will broke up and especially since his death. Anything that helps her to move on is good thing."

"I don't feel so good," Jack said, wandering into the kitchen, preventing Hotch's response.

Hotch knelt down, partially relieved for the distraction. "What's the matter, buddy?"

"My tummy hurts. I think I need JJ."

"You have me and you have Anna right here." Hotch glanced at Anna, but refused to meet her eyes.

Jack dramatically clenched his stomach. "Yeah, but only JJ knows how to make my tummy stop hurting. She has magical tummy kisses. I think we should call her and tell her to come home."

"Jack, we can't call JJ. She's out with a special friend."

"Fine!" Jack yelled and stormed away. Hotch sighed.

Anna sighed. "You know, he's getting that from you. He's picking up on your attitude towards JJ's date and it's feeding his own unhappiness over the situation."

"I don't have an attitude."

"Right." Anna laid her hand comfortingly on his arm. "It's a good thing, her date. She needs a rebound guy."

"Rebound for what?" Hotch asked, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat. "I'm not sure I know what you're getting at."

"Sure." Anna said, leaving the kitchen to go back to Henry and Jack.

Hotch sat down at the kitchen table with a thud. He had been in absolute agony over the last week, ever since he had heard JJ telling Prentiss and Garcia that she was going on this date. He sighed again. She hadn't even told him about it, just left him to find out on his own. They were suppose to be best friends. They lived together! And still, she hadn't thought it necessary to tell him about her date. That's why he hadn't felt the need to be overly enthusiastic over her date.

Even the voices in his own head howled at his justification. His mind just wouldn't let him lie to himself. He treated her date, almost JJ herself, with disdain simply because he was jealous. He wanted to stomp his feet and claim to be sick to get her to stay home with him. Even as he admitted this, he rushed to justify it: he was concerned about her; he didn't want to break up their family; he wanted to protect her. It was all lies. Well, that wasn't true, either. He was all those things, but there was more.

He was in love with her. Hotch ran both hands through his hair as he repeated in his mind, "I'm in love with her." There were no maybes about it; he was completely 100% head over heels in love with Jennifer Jareau. It wasn't just attraction, though he was so attracted to her at times he wanted to jump out of his skin. It wasn't just gratitude, though he genuinely didn't know what he would have done for the last year and a half without her. He loved her; everything she was, everything she wasn't.

Yet, what could he really do about that? She was still on his team, technically his subordinate. And they had created a family here. Jack loved JJ like a mother. Hotch loved Henry like a son. Even if they found a way around work, there were still the boys, still their friendship to consider. He didn't have the greatest track record with relationships and to have JJ and lose her would kill him. To watch Jack and Henry go through that pain would destroy them both. He didn't know how he could possibly pursue her when he had so much to lose.

But he didn't know how many of these nights he could handle. How many times could he watch her dress up, put on that million dollar smile, and walk out the door into the arms of another man? And what if she actually clicked with someone, this friend of Prentiss' or someone else? How could he possibly stand off to the side watching as she fell in love with another man with a fake smile on his face? How could he watch her give herself to someone that wasn't him all the while he longed to pull her in his arms and never let her go?

"Daddy!" Jack yelped, returning to the kitchen. "Your water's spilling!"

"Oh, crap!" Hotch exclaimed, jumping up and racing to the stove.

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Anna looked up from her book when she heard the front door open. It was late and she was the only one awake. Seeing JJ, she said, excitedly, "Hey!"

"Hey, yourself. Did you wait up just for me?" JJ asked.

"Of course. I wanted to see how it went." Anna closed her book, placing it on the coffee table.

JJ sat down on the couch next to Anna and slipped off her shoes. "How were my boys?"

Anna chuckled, lightly. "Henry was an angel as always. He wants a kiss good night when you go upstairs."

"Naturally."

"The other two boys were miserable all night."

JJ tilted her head. "Yeah, what was up with that tonight?"

"Really?" Anna asked, matching JJ's head movements. JJ shrugged causing Anna to sigh in amusement and a hint of frustration. "Um, I think they're afraid of breaking up the family you guys have here."

"That's just ridiculous. It was only one date," JJ finished with a huff.

"That's what I said. So, tell me about the date."

"It was nice, which I know is normally the kiss of death, but it felt good to just do nice. Greg is great guy. He was funny and sweet, just as he was the night we all went to the bar."

Anna waved her hands about. "What about a kiss? Did you kiss him?"

JJ shook her head, red flooding her cheeks. "He wanted to. It just didn't... I don't know. It just didn't feel right. I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek."

"Maybe your lips were looking for a certain older gentleman, a Unit Chief, if you will?"

JJ hit Anna's knee. "You just never quit."

"I'm just saying, you didn't panic over kissing Hotch until afterward. You just did it on instinct each time. That's got to mean something."

JJ chewed on her bottom lip for awhile, lost in thought. "It doesn't matter if that does or doesn't. Hotch doesn't want to pursue anything with me."

"Why would you say that?"

"Because he didn't try to stop this date." JJ took a deep breath. "Anyway, Greg and I have another date next week. I don't know if it's going to go anywhere, but at least I'm getting out there."

Anna nodded, silently, taking in her conversation with JJ and hoping their plan wasn't backfiring already.

JJ tap Anna's shoulder to bring her attention back. "What about you? How are you doing with tomorrow?"

"I'm trying not to think about it until Brendan gets here tomorrow." Anna smiled at her, sadly. She rubbed her eyes. "I am so tired of being the girl with the tragic past."

"If it makes you feel any better, apparently I'm in that competition with you."

Anna laughed. "That does make me feel a little better."

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"Good morning, Anna!" Jack and Henry shouted as Anna blearily stepped into the kitchen. They were standing in front of the fridge. There was a carton of milk and a carton of eggs opened with several eggs on the floor.

Anna swiftly grabbed the paper towels and began to clean up the eggs. "Why didn't you guys wake me?"

"Daddy told us not," Jack told her solemnly. Henry nodded. "Daddy said no."

"Don't you think you should have woken Daddy up then?" Anna asked them. Jack shrugged at her while Henry flashed her a smile. "And you guys are not suppose to go into the fridge without an adult."

Jack pouted. "We wanted to make you breakfast."

"Breakfast," Henry repeated, sticking out his bottom lip to match Jack.

"You guys want some eggs?" They both nodded. "And some bacon?" They nodded again. "And toast?"

Jack handed her the milk. "Can you make breakfast faces?"

"Sure."

By the time JJ came down into the kitchen a half hour later, Anna had both boys at the kitchen table with eggs, bacon, and toast in the shape of faces. Jack was happily chatting away about his first day of school that was coming up soon. Henry repeated about half of what Jack said on habit.

"You guys weren't suppose to wake Anna," JJ chastised gently, grabbing a cup of coffee.

"We didn't!" Jack protested. "She woke up on her own. We were going to make her breakfast!"

JJ sat at the table, exchanging an amused look with Anna. "Oh dear."

"We only lost two eggs during their attempt. It's all good," Anna assured her. She stood. "I'm going to go get dressed. There's more eggs and bacon on the stove. The stuff in the dishwasher's dirty."

JJ and the boys sat at the kitchen table and ate. Anna left the kitchen in her pajamas and returned in clothes. She kissed the boys good-bye as the doorbell rang indicating her visitor was there to pick her up. Hotch entered the kitchen with his head down, unable to quite bring himself to meet JJ's eyes. He had slept terribly last night as his mind was reeling over his realization that he was in love with JJ and torn over what to do about it.

"Morgan called. He needs me in the office for a few hours to go over some paperwork. Do you mind watching Jack?" Hotch asked.

"Sure," JJ told him, a bit confused by his closed off behavior, first last night and now this morning.

Hotch kissed Jack and Henry. "I won't be long."

"No go, Daddy," Henry protested.

"Motch will be home soon," JJ assured him. She picked him up and put him on her lap to stop the tantrum she was sure was coming. "You, me, and Jack will find something fun to do until then."

"Park?"

"Yeah, JJ! Can we go to the park?" Jack chimed in.

JJ nodded and both boys cheered. Hotch smiled genuinely for the first time. He bide them all good-bye and hustled to the office. He had been working in his office quietly for a few hours when Morgan entered, knocking on the open door as he passed.

"Have you heard from Anna?" Morgan asked him. "I've been trying to get her all morning."

"She never keeps her phone on when she's with Brendan," Hotch replied, distractedly as he tried to remember which LEO issued the order to shot two cases ago. He missed the dark cloud that passed over Morgan's face.

Morgan fought to keep his voice light. "Brendan?"

Hotch waved his hand, not looking up. "Yeah, it's their anniversary thing that they do every year."

Morgan was quiet long enough to pull Hotch from his paperwork. He eyed Morgan critically. "You did know about that?"

"Uh, yeah. It just slipped my mind with all this paperwork," Morgan covered. "You almost done?"

"Mhm." Hotch signed the bottom of the paper. "I have about fifteen minutes more. You can go ahead and get out of here if you'd like."

Morgan thought about protesting as he was the one who had asked for Hotch's help in the first place, but he needed time to think. Besides, if he was reading Hotch correctly, Hotch needed some time alone. Morgan suspected it had to do with the date that Prentiss and Garcia set JJ up with last night. He said a quick good-bye to Hotch before heading home.

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Anna knocked on Morgan's door the next afternoon. She had missed seven phone calls and a few text messages from him the day before, the last asking her to call him whenever she could be "bothered." She decided to visit him instead to do whatever they were going to do in person.

Morgan opened the door with a scowl on his face. He offered no response to the small smile on her face. He shifted to the side of the door, wordlessly inviting her inside. She followed him to the living room where they both sat on the couch.

"Who's Brendan?" Morgan asked, breaking the long silence.

Anna gasped slightly. "How did-"

"Hotch. He assumed I knew. So, tell me: who's Brendan?"

"Brendan is a friend from college. My freshman roommate, Melinda, and I met him the first day of college. They got married the summer after sophomore year, much to their parents' disappointment. They had Lanie just over a year later. We were all suppose to go to a friend's birthday party together, but I was going through a bad spell and couldn't be around people so I canceled. Lanie got sick that night and Brendan offered to stay home so Melinda could go out for the night. There was a bad storm that night. Melinda hit a curve too fast, causing her car to run off the road. She hit a tree and died instantly." Anna moved her eyes from the table to Morgan. "Every year, Brendan, Lanie, and I spend the day Melinda died together."

Morgan sighed. "What didn't you just tell me that beforehand? I spent all day yesterday running the worst scenarios through my head. Why are you always hiding things from me, Anna?"

Anna shrugged, feeding Morgan's frustration.

"Are there any more secrets?"

"There's always more secrets," she whispered.

Morgan stood up and threw his hands in the air. "Dammit, Anna! What is this? I don't even know how to handle this! You never let me in. Hotch, Reid, JJ, they all get parts of you that you refuse to share with me!"

"I refuse to share with you?" Anna stood also, anger rising. "What about you? You're not exactly the poster boy for honesty over there! You haven't told me about your childhood. I barely know anything about your family. You have these nightmares sometimes after we have sex that you absolutely refuse to talk to me about."

"That's my business!"

"And this is mine."

Morgan huffed. "But Hotch knows."

"Hotch knows because I've known him for thirteen years! He was there to pick up the pieces when I lost my best friend." Anna felt tears starting to bubble up from her throat.

"Does JJ know? Does Reid?" Morgan felt his anger slipping away as hopelessness grabbed hold. "How many things have you told Reid that you haven't told me? And I know you consider him your brother, but I'm suppose to be boyfriend. You're suppose to share these things with me. Do you even want to?"

Anna was quietly. She desperately wanted to tell him yes, but something inside her blocked it from coming out. Her chest tightened as she concentrated only on not crying.

"I guess I have my answer," Morgan said, softly.

"I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I just..." Her voice trailed off.

"Just what?"

Anna shrugged. "I'm just not the person that you need me to be. Good-bye, Derek."

"Good-bye."

She kissed him gently on the cheek before hurrying out the door. Anna drove around for hours aimlessly. She didn't cry a single tear, able to push down her emotions. By the time she returned home, the boys were already taking their baths. Hotch was standing in the kitchen when she walked in. He took one look at her face and wordlessly held his arms open. Anna fell into them, finally sobbing.

"We broke up," she said simply.

"It's okay. It's going to be okay," Hotch muttered, soothingly in her ear. He stroked her hair, rocking her in his arms. "I got you. It's going to be okay."

"I'm sorry," Anna cried. "I don't want to make things awkward for you."

"Don't worry about it. What happened?"

"I didn't tell him about Brendan and Melinda and Lanie."

Hotch groaned. "I did. I didn't know you hadn't told him. It's my fault. I'll explain it."

Anna pulled away. "No. It was just one more thing, one more lie. It's not your fault, Hotch. We're just two broken people who never quite learned to trust each other."

Hotch pulled her back to him. "I'm sorry. It's going to be okay."

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"If you want me to stay home, I can," JJ called out from her bathroom. She poked her head into the bedroom.

Anna was sitting on her bed with Henry. "Why would I want you to do that?"

JJ walked fully out of the bathroom holding up a silver hoop earring and a diamond stud. Anna pointed to the hoop. "Because I know things have been a little rough since your break-up with Derek and here I am going out on a second date."

"You staying home and being miserable because you're not out having fun; how does that help me?"

"We could camp out in the living room, eating pizza, ice cream, and junk food while watching sapping romantic movies and lamenting the fact that those men don't really exist," JJ offered.

Anna tickled Henry. "As much fun as that sounds, I already have a date with Jack and Henry. We're going to make sundaes and watch 'The Lion King.'"

"Sounds exciting. Maybe I-"

"Okay, what is with you?" Anna interrupted. "You said yourself that you had a great time with Greg the last time you went out. Yet, you're looking for every excuse to get out of it."

JJ flopped on the bed beside her, absently smoothing Henry's hair. "I don't know. Hotch has been so distant since my date with Greg. He barely talks to me in the car to and from work. We haven't had lunch together the last two weeks. It's like we're distant co-workers who just happen to live together. It doesn't seem worth losing Hotch over."

"He'll come around. Trust me. You're not doing anything wrong, but having fun."

"I know," JJ agreed, but looked unconvinced.

Jack bounced into the room. "Hey, JJ, are you going to watch 'The Lion King' with us?"

"Uh, not tonight, Jack. I'm going out. You guys will be in bed before I get back."

Jack laid down on the bed. "I don't feel good. I think maybe you need to stay home with me."

JJ and Anna exchanged amused looks. JJ leaned over Jack. "Well, I guess if you're sick, you can't eat any ice cream and you should probably go to bed, which means no watching 'The Lion King.'"

"JJ, I don't want you to go out tonight." He put his head on her lap. "I miss you when you're gone."

"I miss you, too, but sometimes grown-ups need to go out and have some fun without kids. Can you understand what I mean?"

Jack frowned in thought. "Like when me and Tyler want to play without his mom around."

"Exactly."

Jack fidgeted as if he had something else to say, but remained quiet. Anna took Henry out of the room so that Jack would talk to JJ. They passed Hotch on his way to his room as they traipsed downstairs. Hotch paused outside of JJ's room when he heard her voice.

"So, Jack," JJ began, "do you want to tell me what has you so upset?"

Jack sat up and crawled onto JJ's lap. "I don't want you to leave."

She pulled her arms around him. "I thought we talked about this. I'm just going for a couple of hours with a friend."

"I don't want you to move away. I don't want you get married." Jack's voice was low and wobbly. "I want you and Henry to stay with me and Daddy forever."

"I'm just going on a date. I'm not leaving you." JJ kissed his temple.

Jack shook his head. "I don't want you to marry someone else. I want you to marry my daddy. I want you to be my mommy. I want Henry to be my brother. I want us to be a family."

Jack began to sob with his last word. JJ gathered him tight, rocking him and running her hands over his back, concentrating on not crying herself. She whispered soothingly into his ear. She waited until he calmed down before pulling back slightly to look directly into his eyes, wiping his tears away with her thumbs.

"We will always be a family. I will always love you. I will always consider you my son. I don't know what's going to happen in the future, Jack, but I know this: nothing and no one is ever going to come between us. Even if someday, we don't all live together, you and me and Henry and your dad will always be a family. I promise."

"JJ, do you love my dad?"

JJ felt her mouth go dry and her heart stuttered. She felt her mind go blank. "Of course, I do. He's my best friend."

"But do you love him? Love him like Jessie loves Buzz? Like Aunt Penelope loves Mr. Kevin?"

Inwardly, JJ groaned as Jack looked up at her eager-faced. She wanted to lie, wanted to tell Jack that she didn't. She wanted to save him from the pain of the truth, save herself. But that wasn't the relationship she had with either of the boys. "Yes, Jack, I love your dad, but things aren't simple with adults. I know it's hard to understand that."

"JJ! Greg's here!" Anna called from the bottom of the stairs, startling JJ and Jack and Hotch, who was still outside the bedroom. Hotch hurried off to his own room.

"Grown-ups are complicated," Jack sighed. "Anna told me."

"Yeah," JJ agreed.

"I love you, JJ."

JJ gave him a tight hug. "I love you, too, my Jack."

Jack hopped down, leaving JJ to go on her date. He wandered down the hall to Hotch's room and pattered inside. Hotch was on his bed, staring at his ceiling, thoughts swirling around like tornadoes in his head. Jack climbed onto the bed, kneeling beside Hotch.

"Daddy, do you love JJ?"

Hotch rolled his head to focus on his son. "What?"

"JJ says she loves you like Jessie loves Buzz. Do you love JJ like that?"

"I-"

"Jack, come on!" Anna shouted. "We're going to make sundaes now!"

Hotch looked back to ceiling. "Go on, Jack."

Jack sighed as he got off the bed. He entered the kitchen with his shoulders slacked. "Daddy's mopping in his room."

"I think you mean moping," Anna told him, scooping ice cream into bowls. "Don't worry. If he's still moping later, I'll talk to him."

Hotch moped in his room while they ate sundaes, while they watched the movie, while Anna gave the boys a bath and put them to bed. She was in the kitchen cleaning when Hotch finally ventured down in search of a drink. Anna stopped cleaning to watch him.

"What?" Hotch asked, annoyed with her prying eyes.

"What is with you?" Anna countered. "You're moping so bad that Jack is commenting on it."

Hotch gulped the drink in his hand. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Anna pursed her lips, all of her anger and sadness over the last few weeks seeming to channel into this conversation. She shook her head. "You have been absolutely miserable since JJ went on that first date. You've been short with everybody. You hide in your room. You barely talk to JJ. You're losing yourself in work."

"What are you getting at?" He folded his arms.

"Either get off your ass and do something about it or let her go and get your head out of your ass!"

"Let me alone, Anna. It's none of your business, no matter how much you think it is. And who are you to talk about anyone moping? You've been wandering around here like half a zombie for two weeks!"

Anna scoffed. "Don't turn this around on me. It is my business when it affects those boys. You love JJ. You are in love with JJ. Stop denying it. Do something about it."

"Like what? Confess my undying love? I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"The team-"

"Your team knows," Anna interrupted. "They're ready to go to bat for you. Dave has all kinds of favors lined up to keep both you and JJ on the team even after a relationship."

Hotch felt the tornadoes forming again. The team knew? "The boys-"

"The boys are your biggest fans. There is nothing they want more than for the two of you to be together. You are already 'Daddy' to Henry and Jack spends half his time wishing he could call JJ 'Mom.' You said yourself that you couldn't imagine a scenario in which you or JJ would turn your backs on either of the boys. Has that changed?"

"Of course not! I love Henry. I will always love Henry. I know JJ loves Jack and always will."

"Then what's the problem?"

Hotch grew quiet. "I don't want to hurt her. She's already been through so much. She deserves better than me, better than what I can offer her."

Anna felt her anger draining. "Don't you understand, Hotch? To her, there is nothing better than you. JJ is in love with you. Don't give me that look. She is. She's just waiting on you."

Anna turned to walk out of the kitchen. She paused at the doorway. She spoke lowly. "Things may have ended badly for Derek and me, but I don't regret our relationship. And I'm sad now, but one day, I'll look back and only remember the good things. Don't let JJ become a regret, Hotch."

Hotch poured another drink and sat down at the table. He was in love with JJ. He knew it, the boys knew, apparently the team now knew it. Anna was convinced that JJ loved him, too. She was rarely wrong on these things. Jack had come in stating that JJ was in love with him, too. Hotch believed that JJ was entitled to more than him, but it wasn't hard to see that his sulking had a negative affect on her over the last two weeks. If Anna was correct in that JJ loved him, he was hurting her more by trying to save her from himself.

The thoughts continued to swirl in his head until he heard a car pull up in front of the house. He left the kitchen to go the the front hallway. He spied inconspicuously through the window on JJ and her date.

"Thanks for walking me to the door," JJ told Greg. "I had a really nice time."

"Me, too," Greg agreed. He leaned down and kissed her lips. "I'll call you."

JJ nodded in response. She contemplated their first kiss as she watched him go. It was a nice, safe kiss. His lips were soft with just the right amount of moisture. He hadn't pressured her anything further and yet, the kiss left her almost cold. There was something... missing. She opened the front door only to find herself against it.

Hotch wasn't sure exactly what had overcome him, but seeing Greg kiss JJ had set something off inside him. He pulled her into his arms as soon as she came inside, bracing her against the door. He pressed his body against her, feeling her soft curves. He pulled his head back just enough to see her eyes. He expected to find confusion and perhaps even fear, but only saw love and heat.

He lowered his head, crashing his lips to hers. They had shared a few kisses before, but nothing prepared her for the explosion between the two of them the moment their lips touched. Every molecule in her body felt as though it was on fiery. She ran her tongue along his bottom lip and he opened immediately to her.

Hotch felt as though he was drowning as soon as her tongue slid into his mouth. He hesitantly returned her thrusts until he heard a moan in the back of her throat. He vigorously attacked her mouth, meeting her for kiss after kiss after kiss. He only broke away from her when he needed to take in a gasp of air. They both stood there, panting.

Suddenly, Hotch felt uncertainty creeping into his mind. "I'm-"

JJ plundered his mouth, cutting him off. She pushed him backwards through the front hall and into the kitchen, never breaking the kiss. She maneuvered him until his legs hit the back of the couch. JJ put pressure on his shoulders until he sat down on the couch. She followed, straddling his lap, before reclaiming his mouth once again.

"I have been waiting forever for you to do that," JJ heaved when they finally broke apart. She scooted just far enough back on his lap to see his face. She kept her hands in his hair.

"I've been waiting forever to do that." Hotch's hands rested on her hips. "I don't want you to go on anymore dates... unless they're with me."

She leaned forward and placed a line of kisses along his jaw. "That's good because I don't want to go on anymore dates unless they're with you."

"We have a lot to talk about." He placed a kiss on each side of her mouth.

She nodded, moving her hands down his neck and over his shoulders. "We do."

"Next weekend?"

JJ nodded again. "But let's be done talking for tonight."

"Agreed." He pulled her body flush against his. He kissed up one side of her neck and down the other, listening to her soft moans. He drew his hands up her sides to rest just under her breasts. He ran his thumbs over her nipples. JJ's head fell backwards in ecstasy. Hotch took the opportunity to place wet kisses along the top of her breasts.

JJ ground down on Hotch just to hear him groan when they heard Jack call out, "Daddy?"

Both Hotch and JJ froze, eyes wide. Jack called out again, his voice sounding closer to the top of the stairs. Reluctantly, they pulled away from each other. JJ removed herself from his lap, offering a hand to help him up. He stole one last kiss from her swollen lips.

"Next weekend?" he asked her, his voice hoarse.

"Try and keep me away."


	15. Of First Days and Fall Ball

Next weekend didn't quite work out for Hotch and JJ as the team was called away on a case two days later that took them out of town for nearly two weeks. It was an intense case and there was little time for anything other than work, food, and sleep, and one ten minute make-out session to clear JJ's head after talking to a particularly skeevy suspect. She had thrown him up against the wall in the back of the police station and plundered his mouth until he was thrusting against her. Reid nearly walked in on them, causing them to laugh at his bewildered face until they were nearly hysterical.

They returned home just two days before Jack's first day of school. He was so nervous, he made himself sick. Hotch and JJ spent the only free night before school started with Jack up most of the night. They were so tired that Sunday that they barely moved from the couch, let alone had the energy to have a major discussion. They both had conversations with Anna about the conversation they were going to have, though neither knew the other did. Anna uncharacteristically only listened, offering no advice or pushes.

The entire household accompanied Jack to his first day of school. As talkative as he had been about going to school the last few weeks was as quiet as he was now. The silence in the car was instead filled by Henry singing the theme song to "Bob the Builder." Well, attempting to sing it as the only words he knew were "Bob the Builder" and "Yes, we can!"

Jack clutched Anna's hand as the group made their way towards the school. Jack stopped at the bottom of the stairs. He glanced from Anna to the school and back again. The bustle of the kids around them was making him apprehensive once again.

Anna knelt down beside Jack, taking both of his hands in hers. "Big day, Jack."

"Uh-huh." His face paled as he watched all the kids streaming into the school.

"You're going to be great. Tyler's in there and so is Aidan. Henry and I are going to wait outside and let your dad and JJ take you in. We'll be right here to get you after school. I love you, Jack. Go get 'em."

"I love you, too," Jack mumbled. He took Hotch's hand and then JJ's after she passed Henry off to Anna. He took a deep breath before leading them into the building.

"Hi Jack!" Tyler exclaimed as the three walked into Jack's classroom.

Jack released Hotch's hand to wave to Tyler. "Hi Tyler."

"Hello and who are you?" the teacher asked, coming up to Jack.

Jack extended his right hand. "Jack Hotchner. It's nice to meet you."

The teacher chuckled. "I'm Mrs. Miller. And are these your parents."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Aaron Hotchner," Hotch introduced, shaking Mrs. Miller's hand. "Jennifer Jareau."

JJ glanced at him quickly, more than a little surprised that he didn't correct Jack. She smiled when shook Mrs. Miller's hand.

"Go ahead and get Jack settled, but we ask that you leave right after that," Mrs. Miller told them before leaving to greet the next set of parents.

JJ led Jack to his seat. "Jack, I want you to have a wonderful day today. I want to hear all about it as soon as you get home. I'll tell Anna that you can call me. I love you."

"I love you, too," Jack told her.

"You are going to have lots of fun. I love you." Hotch kissed him on top of his head. He knelt down to whisper, "Mom is proud of you, too. She's watching over you."

Jack nodded, gaining confidence. "I'll see you later."

Hotch link his hand with JJ's as they left the classroom. Taking in her face, he said, "Everything okay?"

JJ tried to surreptitiously wipe away a tear before glancing at him. "I'm fine. I just... I can't believe he's starting his first day of school. He's growing up so fast."

"He is." Hotch smiled as he got lost in memories of Jack.

"Can I ask you something?" JJ stopped him just before they reached the door. He nodded, rubbing this thumb over her cheek. "Why didn't you correct Jack's teacher about who I am?"

Hotch pulled his hand away from her, keeping his other one in hers. Pink tinged his cheeks. "I didn't want to cause a scene by trying to explain our situation. And Jack didn't mind. I would have said something if he was uncomfortable." He paused. "Was that not okay?"

"It was fine! It was... I just wanted to make sure that you were okay with it." Hotch kissed her then and all the breath went out of her lungs.

"I'm very much okay with it," he muttered against her mouth. The sound of kids giggling caused him to pull away from her. Hotch squeezed her hand before dropping it. "Saturday is Jack's first practice for Fall Ball. What do you say you and I take a drive afterward and have that talk?"

"Sounds great." She smiled widely before leading him out of the school.

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Rossi watched curiously from the doorway as Hotch and JJ entered the BAU. He didn't miss how they stood closer to each other than they normally did or that Hotch rubbed two fingers against one of JJ's when they accidentally brushed hands as if he itched to hold them. Rossi pretended to be reading a file when Hotch and JJ reached the top of the stairs, but smiled to himself when JJ lingered at Hotch's door before moving on to her own office.

Rossi wait until JJ's door was closed before venturing to Hotch's office himself. He found Hotch sitting at his desk, filling out paperwork, a sappy smile on his face. Rossi knocked, but entered before permission.

"Good morning, Dave," Hotch said, glancing up from his paperwork.

"Good morning, yourself, Aaron," Rossi replied. He sat down in one of the chairs. "How did Jack's first day of school go?"

"He's nervous, but determined. I think he'll be fine."

Rossi grinned. "He's tough, just like his daddy. And how about the rest of you? How did you fare?"

Hotch shrugged. "I'm okay. JJ's heartbroken, I think. Henry's going to miss having someone to play with all day and Anna... is Anna."

"How is Anna anyway? I haven't had a chance to talk with her much lately."

"You know Anna; she's chugging on through." Hotch gave up writing up his report. "I think it threw her for a loop just how much her break-up with Derek affected her. She doesn't want anyone to see how sad she is about it. She'll be okay after some time."

Rossi's eyes grew mischievous. "And you and JJ? That's going well?"

"We haven't-" Hotch cut off abruptly. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Sure," Rossi chuckled. He stood from the chair. "Just know this, Aaron, we're all rooting for you kids."

"Bye, Dave," Hotch said pointedly as Rossi left the office, closing the door behind him.

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Anna, Jack, and Henry were sitting on the front porch when Hotch's car rolled up. Anna's eyes narrowed when only JJ emerged. She waited on the porch as Jack and Henry ran to hug JJ.

"Where's Hotch?" Anna asked when JJ reached the porch. Jack had his arms around JJ's waist and Henry had his around her neck.

JJ sighed. "Strauss sent him to a conference to fill in for her; said she had some important business to take care of here and couldn't go. He'll be back in two days."

Anna raised her eyebrows at the disdain in JJ's voice before glancing at Jack and Henry who were looking at her expectantly. Anna smiled. "You know what that means, guys?"

"Even with JJ here?" Jack whispered astonishingly.

Anna nodded. "I think we can let her in on our secret."

"What's going on?" JJ asked, glancing between the three of them.

"We're having pizza for dinner and candy sundaes for dessert!" Jack exclaimed. "We do it every time you and Daddy have to go catch the bad guys."

Anna shrugged when JJ looked at her. "They need something to look forward to when you guys are out of town on a case."

"Let's go get some pizza then!" JJ agreed, needing the little pick-me-up herself.

JJ smiled and laughed her way through the evening, but she felt a twinge of sadness throughout the night. Jack chattered away the entire evening about school while Henry spent his time looking for Hotch, confused as to why his mother was there, but Hotch was not. She was slightly relieved when both boys went to bed after their baths even as she missed the distraction they provided.

JJ peered out of her bedroom door where she had been getting ready for bed. Seeing no one there, she quickly crept down the hallway into Hotch's room. She crossed to his dresser and began to rifle through his t-shirts.

"Hey," Anna said, leaning against the doorway. She chuckled silently as JJ jumped.

"Um," JJ's face turned beet red as she tried to come up with an excuse for why she was in Hotch's room in his dresser. "I was just..."

"Looking for something to sleep in?" Anna offered, taking pity on the blonde in front of her.

JJ breathed a sigh of relief. "Yeah. Nothing of mine feels right tonight."

"I understand that," Anna said, wistfully, willing herself not to think about Morgan.

"Anna-"

"Well, carry on. I just came up to grab dirty towels." Anna disappeared into Hotch's bathroom and returned with towels in her hands. She waved to JJ as she left the room. JJ grabbed Hotch's gray FBI t-shirt and hurriedly left the room. She went to check on the boys, who were both sound asleep before returning to her own room. She smiled when she entered. Anna had moved one of Hotch's pillows to her bed.

JJ changed into Hotch's shirt and crawled into bed. She clutched the pillow close to her face, breathing in his scent. Her phone rang just as she was drifting off to sleep. Checking out the caller ID, she grinned widely.

"Hey," she whispered into the phone.

"Hi," Hotch replied, just as softly.

"How's the conference?"

Hotch sighed. "Boring. I wish you were here to entertain me. If I have to explain what profiling is to one more person, I may scream."

"I'd pay good money to see that," JJ laughed.

"How are the boys?"

JJ brushed hair from her eye. "Jack spent the entire evening telling us every detail about his first day of school. Henry kept looking for you. He doesn't understand why I'm here and you're not."

"Is it weird that I miss you?" he asked. She was surprised by the uncertainty in his voice and wasn't sure she liked it. "I mean, we were just together this afternoon."

"I'm sleeping in your t-shirt," she confessed, "and laying on your pillow. It smells like you."

Hotch took a shaky breath. "I'm not exactly sure what's going on between the two of us, but I like it."

"I like it, too. I'm looking forward to our talk when you get back."

Hotch smiled. "Me, too. I should let you go. It's getting late."

"Okay. Talk to you tomorrow?"

"Definitely." Hotch bade her good night before hanging up the phone. JJ put the phone on her nightstand before once again burying her head in Hotch's pile. She smiled as dreams of Hotch overtook her consciousness.

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"We're out of milk," Hotch announced to Jack, closing the refrigerator door Saturday morning. He and Jack were attempting to make breakfast for everyone. It was quickly coming down to frozen waffles. Henry had gotten sick on Jack's second day of school and wasn't feeling better until Friday and JJ got boggled down in work so Anna wasn't able to get to the store.

Anna breezed into the kitchen, saying, "I'm headed to the store now. I'll pick some up."

"Aren't you coming to my baseball game?" Jack whined from the kitchen table.

"It's practice and I will be back in plenty of time to go to the game. It's a quick trip; just a couple of things." Anna rustled his hair as she passed by him. She smiled as JJ and and Henry walked into the kitchen. "JJ, do you need anything from the store?"

"We're out of milk," she replied.

Hotch looked up from fruit he was cutting. "Already on the list."

"Hi Motch," Henry said. Anna gave Hotch a pointed look, which made him scowl. They were still working with Henry on what to call Hotch. Henry toddled over to Hotch, his tiny arms stretched out. "Up, Daddy."

Hotch gave Anna the same pointed look which caused her to chuckled as he bent down to pick Henry up. She waved as she headed out of the kitchen. "Be back soon."

"She seems happier, lighter," JJ commented. It was the first time since breaking up with Morgan, that Anna's eyes didn't hold a hint of sadness.

"She does," Hotch agreed. He was pulling waffles out of the freezer with Henry on his hip. "Jack, do you know where your baseball clothes are?"

"Um, no?"

JJ poked him playfully and whispered, "In the laundry room."

"Oh! In the laundry room."

"What about your shoes?" Hotch asked.

Jack looked at JJ who shrugged. He looked back to Hotch. "I don't know."

Hotch sighed.

"Come on, Jack. Let's go look for your shoes," JJ said, grabbing Jack's hand before Hotch could say anything else. She flashed Hotch a smile they passed, causing Hotch's heart to stammer.

"Mama, pretty," Henry told Hotch, patting Hotch on the head.

Hotch smiled. "Your mama's very pretty."

"Daddy, I'm hungry."

"Henry, what's my name?"

Henry gave Hotch his mother's annoyed look. "Motch."

"That's right." Hotch gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Daddy, I'm hungry," Henry repeated.

Hotch sighed. "I'll back you some waffles."

Hotch finished preparing breakfast while JJ and Jack found Jack's shoes. Breakfast took nearly an hour and a half to get through. It took another hour to get both boys ready for practice.

"Come on, Jack," Hotch called up the stairs. Jack had disappeared upstairs when they were all heading out the door.

Jack stood at the top of the stairs, hands on his hips. "We can't go. Anna's not back yet!"

"I know, but if we don't leave right now, we're going to be late."

"Fine." Jack ran sadly down the stairs. He grabbed his baseball mitt from the stairs and headed out the door.

"Anything?" Hotch asked JJ, anxiously, as she came from the living room with Henry in her arms.

JJ shook her head. "Nothing. Maybe, she's running late and is going to meet us at the field?"

"With all the groceries in the car?"

"Cooler?" JJ offered, trying not to let worry overtake her. "I'll have Garcia track her cell phone if she isn't at the field."

Hotch silently agreed, placing his hand on the small of her back to usher her outside. They reached the field with two minutes to spare. Anna, however, was nowhere in sight. Both JJ and Hotch attempted to call her, but the calls rang and rang before going to voicemail.

"Here, take him," JJ told Hotch, handing Henry to him. She stepped away from the crowd to call Garcia.

"Hi, Angel Girl," Garcia said, perkily. "How's everything?"

JJ bit her bottom lip. "I'm not sure. Are you near a computer?"

"I am," Garcia told her, sobering immediately. "What do you need?"

"I need you to track Anna's cell phone. She went out for groceries almost three hours ago and we haven't seen or heard from her since. Her phone's on, but she's not picking up."

Garcia woke her computer up. "Maybe she ran into a friend or had some extra errands to run."

JJ shook her head, even though Garcia couldn't see her. "We're at Jack's first fall ball practice and Anna's here."

"Oh." Garcia felt her stomach drop. She knew that Anna wouldn't just miss Jack's practice without an extremely good reason. Whatever else she could say about her, and Garcia admittedly did not have many good things to say about Anna lately owing to Anna breaking her Morgan's heart, Anna lived and breathed for Jack and Henry. "I'll do one better. Hotch has a tracking device on Anna's car."

"He does?"

"Just for emergencies," Garcia said, distractedly. After a few minutes she said, "That's weird. It's at the Wegman's Grocery Store over on Fifth. It looks like it's been there for over two and a half hours. That can't be good."

"No, it can't. I'm going to get Hotch. Can you call the team and meet us at the office?"

"Sure."

JJ hung up the phone and motioned to Hotch to join her. "I just talked to Garcia. She says Anna's car has been at Wegman's for the last two and a half hours."

"Have her call everyone and meet us at the office," Hotch told her, his voice tense.

"Already done."

Hotch nodded. "I'm going to grab Jack. We'll stop and check out the car before heading to the BAU. Can you call in a unit to process the car? I want as much information as possible as soon as possible."

"Okay." JJ shifted Henry to settle more on her hip while placing her call. Hotch grabbed a protesting Jack from practice. Jack grew quiet when Hotch told him they were heading to the BAU. He knew, even at his young age, that an impromptu trip to the BAU combined with Anna's non-appearance was not a good sign. Jack grabbed Henry's hand once they were in the car and didn't let go until they were settled in Hotch's office with crayons being watched by Kevin.

"Hotch, what's going on?" Morgan asked as Hotch, JJ, and Garcia entered the conference room at the same time.

Hotch glanced nervously at JJ before beginning. "Anna's missing."

He watched as Reid's face paled, as Morgan's fists balled in distress, as Prentiss' eyes widened in disbelief. Garcia sank into the empty chair between Morgan and Prentiss as if the full weight of the situation was just hitting her.

"What do you mean 'missing?'" Rossi asked, a hint of anger beneath his calm voice.

JJ stepped forward when Hotch became tongue-tied. "Anna left home a little after 8:30am this morning to go to the grocery store for a few things. She was planning on coming home with plenty of time to get to Jack's baseball practice. She hadn't returned by the time we needed to leave so we were hoping to meet her at the park, hoping she got held up with errands. When we got to the park and she wasn't there, we had Garcia track her car."

"Her car, her phone, and her wallet were all found in the Wegman's parking lot," Hotch continued, finding his voice at last. "The car was locked and the phone and wallet were next to the drivers' side door. No one remembers seeing her in the store; they're sending video of the parking lot over to Garcia. The local police are canvassing the area looking for witnesses."

"What are we doing?" Morgan asked. "Where do you want us to go?"

Hotch shook his head. "We are going to pour over everything in Anna's life."

"Shouldn't we-"

"Look," Hotch ordered, drawing all eyes to him to cut off any further arguments, "no one knows Anna better than those of us in this room. This is where we need to concentrate."

Rossi cleared his throat to ease some of the tension. "What do you want us to do?"

"Write down every interaction you've had with Anna over the month: every place you went, every person you met when you were with her." Hotch turned to JJ. "JJ, I want you to talk to the boys. See if there's anything they can give about what they do with Anna when we're not around."

JJ nodded. She put her hand on his arm. "What are you going to do?"

"I have to go call her father." Hotch slowly left the conference room, his shoulders shagging as if the weight of the shoulder rested on them.

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Anna's eyes fluttered rapidly as she struggled to open them. She finally got her left one open halfway. She attempted to take in her surroundings, but all that did was make her nauseous. Anna laid her head back against the ground, it was hard and rigid. She took a deep breath, smelling grease, wood, and gasoline. She could hear someone humming and a few strands of music.

I'm going to miss Jack's practice, Anna thought absurdly before darkness overtook her once more.


	16. Of Old Enemies and Hidden Clues

"Hotch?" JJ called softly into the darkened conference room. He was sitting on the floor, his back to the wall, his head in his hands. She glanced briefly at the board filled with a timeline of Anna's last forty-eight hours before sitting down next to him. JJ pulled one of his hands from his head and held it in hers.

"How are the boys?" Hotch croaked after a few minutes of silence.

JJ put her head on his shoulder. "They're sleeping in Rossi's office. Rossi, Penelope, and Emily are in there with them. Morgan and Reid are conked out in my office. Morgan's taken it upon himself to make sure that Spence eats and sleeps."

"That's good."

"You should sleep for awhile."

Hotch shook his head. "I can't... not when we don't know where she is, what's being done to her."

"You're not going to be any good to her if you don't get some sleep. You have to give your brain a chance to reboot." JJ stood offering her hands to him. "This isn't optional; it's an order. There's an air mattress in your office."

JJ helped him up before leading him into his office. She pushed him down onto the air mattress, took off his shoes and belt. He was already drifting by the time she covered him with a blanket. JJ took her own shoes off. She crawled under the blanket beside him, curling around his back. She placed a kiss below his ear causing him to shiver slightly.

"Get some sleep, baby," JJ whispered.

Hotch awoke several hours clutching tightly to a pillow. It took a few moments for his sleep deprived brain to realize that he was, in fact, clutching tightly to JJ and not a pillow. They had turned in the night so that he was curled around her, one leg between her two. His arms were firmly around her abdomen with her hands securely on his. Hotch bent his head to kiss her shoulder, unable to stop himself.

JJ moaned softly. "What time is it?"

Hotch glanced at his watch. "Just after seven."

"You should try to get some more sleep."

"I'm not going to be able to." He pulled JJ close to him, drawing strength from her warmth. "I just.. I can't believe this is happening. She has already been through so much. What are the chances that she would be taken by another unsub?"

"Hotch?" JJ asked, when he sat up abruptly. She sat up, too.

He repeated, "What are the chances that she would be taken by another unsub?"

JJ shook her head. "I don't understand."

"They have got to be nearly impossible." Hotch stood and began pacing. "It's something connected to her first case!"

"Hotch!" Reid shouted, racing into the office. He was quickly followed by Morgan. "Anna wasn't taken by another random unsub! The odds are astronomical. Anna had to have been taken by someone connected to her first abduction!"

Hotch nodded before looking at JJ. "Gather everyone in the conference room and have Anderson pull everything from Anna's case. We need to go back over it with a fine-toothed comb."

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Anna groaned as she came to consciousness once again. She jerked her hands suddenly, only to find them restricted by ropes. She sat up slowly, realizing that she was handcuffed around a beam in what appeared to be an attic.

"It's about time woke up. I was getting bored," a deep voice from somewhere in front of her said.

Anna blinked a few times, trying to clear her vision. She could just make out a man with dark hair and scruff on his chin. "Who are you?"

"Tsk, tsk. You don't recognize the sound of my," he leaned in close to her, "voice?"

Anna gasped, but forced herself to not show any other outwardly reaction even as her heart began to race and her chest tightened.

"You didn't think someone like me would be taken out so easily, did you? Killed going back to where it all began?" He laughed. "It was almost too easy to set that simpleton up."

"What do you want?"

He smirked. "Oh, look at you, putting on a brave face. Agent Hotchner taught you well. Do you think he's taught that same false bravado to little Jack and Henry?"

Anna moved to strike him, but he only laughed when she grimaced in pain. She was pretty sure her wrist was broken and her shoulder dislocated. It felt as though she may have bruised a few ribs, too, but she wasn't sure as she had never bruised them before.

"What do you want from me?" Anna demanded.

"I don't want you. Well, not really," he added, lightly tracing his calloused fingers over her neck. Anna shuddered in revulsion. "No, what I want is Agent Jennifer Jareau."

Anna's eyes flew to his in both confusion and fear.

"See, you were the only one of mine to ever get away. For a long time, I though that meant that we were destined to be together. So, I watched you for years, waiting for a sign that it was time."

Anna flinched visibly at the thought that he had been watching her for nearly thirteen years.

"But that all changed the first time I saw my sweet Jennifer. It's just a beautiful name for a beautiful woman. I realized then that your purpose wasn't to be with me. It was to introduce me to my soulmate. You are going to help me make my sweet Jennifer realize that we are destined to be."

"You're crazy."

"Crazy in love? Yes. Insane? That's debatable."

Anna shook her head. "I'm not helping you do anything!"

He gripped her injured shoulder, painfully causing her to hiss. "You will help me or I will carve those precious little boys up like a Thanksgiving turkey while watch, listening to them call out for you."

"You won't be able to get near them." Anna's voice was beginning to quiver.

"Oh, really?" He pulled a drawing that Jack had done his second day of school. "I think I can."

Anna's breath sped up. "What do you want me to do?"

"I thought you might see it my way." He released her shoulder. "You are going to help me convince my sweet Jennifer that she belongs with me."

"How?" she spat.

"We're going to write her letters. A woman knows you're serious if you take the time to write her letters. So much more personal than an e-mail or instant message."

Anna closed her eyes with a deep breath to calm herself. Opening them again, she whispered, "Okay."

"Excellent!" He clapped with glee.

"But first, I need you to get me something to drink. Please?" she added when he hesitated.

"Fine," he hugged, leaving the room through a step ladder on the floor. Anna listed to the echoes of his footsteps to verify that she was on the third floor, an attic. Glancing around the room, she saw only unfinished wood and a small window. Anna forced her body up even as every inch of her body screamed out in pain. Looking out the window, she could see think evergreen, a small dirt road, and part of a lake off in the distance. Judging by the light, it appeared to be mid-morning. That meant she had been missing for nearly twenty-four hours. Hotch and JJ had to be looking for her.

Anna crumbled quickly to the floor hearing his footsteps return. He looked around the room as if expecting to find something. He thrust a plastic cup at her, sloshing the water inside around.

"Thank you," Anna said. She drank it, slowly as it caused her to cough. "I don't suppose you'd let me out of these ropes?"

"Not a chance in hell," he sneered.

"Will you at least tell me your name?"

"No."

Anna sighed, resolving to call him "Barry" in her mind for no other reason than she didn't like the name. She stared at the pen and notepad he held in his hands.

"Tell me about her," "Barry" ordered.

"You should start by calling her 'Jennifer.' Only the really special people in her life call her 'Jennifer.' She'll know you're one if you call her that." Anna watched as he scribbled something down before continuing. "JJ's parents divorced when she was thirteen after her sister's death. It's amazing that she turned out to be the strong person that she is today when she could have easily crawled into herself and disappeared. She played soccer in high school and she was good; good enough to earn a scholarship to college, but it was the lake competition that was her greatest disappointment."

He paused. "Lake competition?"

Anna nodded. "Her town celebrated Founders' Day every August, including a lake competition. For three years in high school she tried to win the swimming competition, but she always came in third."

"They probably cheated my sweet Jennifer out of first; probably jealous of her athletic ability."

Anna's head was beginning to spin. She had been upright too long. "When she was young, JJ loved to hike in the woods. She loved the smell of the trees, the beauty of the flowers, getting away with just herself. She always talks about escaping to the woods one day."

"Barry" smirked again. "What else you got?"

"She was a tomboy when she was a kid." Anna slumped against the pole. "She loved to play with Lincoln Logs so much that her had was convinced that her dad was convinced that she'd be an architect when she grew up. He was disappointed when she chose to become an FBI agent."

"How could anyone ever be disappointed in my sweet Jennifer? She's perfect." "Barry" glanced up at Anna, only to find she had passed out again. He debated briefly about kicking her to force her to wake up before deciding he had enough information to craft his first letter. He leaned close to Anna's ear. "See you later."

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"Damn it!" Morgan shouted, throwing his pen against the wall. The rest of the room grew silent, watching him. "This isn't getting us anywhere! There isn't any evidence that Rodney Walters had a partner. There isn't any evidence that it wasn't him!"

They had spent the entire day pouring through the original case. They had come up with no leads. Bringing back in Sarah Stewart had yielded no results. She hadn't seen Rodney's face and could only remember one unsub. Most of her memories were a blur. Nothing in Anna's transcripts from either thirteen years ago or the year before revealed anything other than a single unsub.

There had been virtually no DNA evidence to tie him to anything other than the murder of Rita Stewart and the rapes committed during Anna's visits to the area. The look into Rodney Walters' life wasn't much more insightful. He was a loner; had no family or friends. He worked part time as a city parks worker, but they had assumed that was only a cover for the kidnappings he planned. He owned no property, only a single car, that would fit in almost any neighborhood. They had traced two bank accounts: one containing a few hundred dollars, the other containing nearly 8 million.

It was near dinner time and the team had reached their limit as evident by Morgan's outburst, emotions running high due to the personal involvement of all of them. Kevin had come in to watch the boys, keeping them entertained in Rossi's office, where they had brought in books, toys, and a television. Reid was beginning to sink into himself. Hotch grew almost eerily silent. Prentiss threw herself into research while Rossi wobbled between anger and depression. Garcia felt more and more guilt as the day worn on both over her recent avoidance of Anna and over not being able to find anything on her computer. JJ felt herself growing thin between caring for the boys and caring for her team.

JJ placed a hand on Hotch's back. "I think we could all use a break."

Hotch looked up as if waking from a daze. "Yeah. Let's meet back here in two hours with fresh eyes."

Wordlessly, the team filed out of the room. JJ headed off to check on the boys before going to find Hotch in his office. She entered without knocking. She found him sitting with his hands over his eyes, elbows on his desk. She gently called his name.

Hotch looked up at her, startling her with the exhaustion in his eyes, more prominent than it had been even twenty minutes ago. "How are the boys?"

"Fine; a bit confused. They're watching a movie with Kevin in Rossi's office. Jack keeps asking why Anna missed his baseball practice, why we're still here." She stepped around the desk to stand beside him, placing her hand tenderly in his hair. He turned his chair to face her.

"I told her that I would protect her. I told her that nothing like this would ever happen to her again." Hotch wrapped his arms around JJ's waist and buried his face in her stomach, shocking them both with his move. "I told her she was safe. I can't protect anyone."

JJ ran her hands soothingly up and down his back, her heart breaking even more. "This isn't your fault, Hotch. It's not. Anna told me that the only place that she has felt safe since she was eighteen was living with you. That goes for me and Henry and Jack. There is no one in this world we feel safer with than you."

"She shouldn't have come to live with me."

JJ cupped Hotch's face, pulling him away just enough to meet her eyes. "This started before you ever met Anna. You saved her in the woods. You found her and brought her home. You'll do that again."

"Uh, excuse me, Agent Hotchner?" Anderson interrupted, timidly knocking on the open door. Hotch tore himself away from JJ to face him. Anderson stepped forward with no reaction to finding JJ and Hotch so intimately intertwined. He held a letter in his hand. "I found this on my desk. It must have been placed there by mistake. It's addressed to Agent Jareau."

"Thanks," JJ said, taking the letter from Anderson before he scurried away.

Hotch stood and walked around the desk. "What is that?"

JJ shook her head as she opened the letter.

"Hey," Prentiss said, walking into the office with Reid. "We're taking orders for dinner."

"What is that?" Reid asked, noticing JJ's eyebrows knitted in concentration. His eyes were red and puffy as if he had spent the last half hour crying.

Again, JJ shook her head. "It's some kind of love letter or fan letter."

Prentiss shrugged. "You get those all the time."

"You do?" Reid questioned.

"She's the face of the BAU," Hotch explained. She gets crazy mail all the time."

"Yeah, but this one has facts about me. Granted, a lot of it is wrong..." JJ's voice trailed off as she focused on the letter.

Hotch stood closer to JJ. "What kind of facts?"

"That I played soccer; that my parents divorced; that my father was disappointed when I joined the Bureau, but the info on what he wanted me to do instead is wrong."

"Your father was disappointed that you joined the Bureau?" Prentiss repeated. She had assumed that JJ's parents were supportive of all her decisions as JJ never complained otherwise.

"Yeah." JJ looked at Prentiss, her brain full of mud. She turned to Hotch. "I only ever told three people that: you, Penelope, and Anna."

Reid perked up. "What about the other true facts? Did you tell Anna those?"

"What are you thinking?" Prentiss asked as JJ rescanned the letter.

"Yeah, she knows all these things," JJ replied, looking up, "but there's things that are wrong."

Reid snatched a notebook from Hotch's desk. "Write down everything that's incorrect. I think Anna was telling the unsub these things and I think she was leaving us clues where to find her."

"Where's the letter from?" Hotch asked JJ.

She turned the envelope over. "There's no address. It only says 'Agent Jennifer Jareau.'"

Panic struck Hotch's face. "I want a complete lock down of this floor, but do it quietly. No one gets in or out that shouldn't be here. I want you and the boys put into protective custody away from the BAU."

"No," JJ told him.

"JJ, whoever has Anna has access to the BAU. I'm not going to risk you or the boys."

JJ held up the letter. "This letter was addressed to me. If I leave, he may leave, too, and you'll never catch him. He may do something to Anna."

"The boys-"

"Put them into protective custody. Kevin will go with them." JJ bit the inside of her mouth. "But keep them nearby so that we can still see them."

Hotch sighed, clearly unhappy. "Okay. Go gather everyone in the Garcia's office. We can't risk being overheard."

JJ and Reid hurried off to gather the team together while Prentiss went to inform security of the visitor lock down for the BAU. Hotch jumped on the phone to arrange protective custody for Kevin and the boys before going to explain to Kevin what was going on.

"What's going on?" Prentiss asked when they had all gathered in Garcia's office.

"We think the unsub that has Anna has written a letter to JJ," Hotch explained.

Garcia looked at JJ with concern. "What kind of letter?"

JJ handed out copies of the letter to everyone. "It's a love letter of sorts, but it has facts in there that I told Anna and only a few others. There's incorrect information in there, too."

"We think Anna's feeding this information to the unsub," Reid stepped in, "and she's giving us clues to where she is."

"What else?" Morgan wanted to know why they were in Garcia's office and not in the conference room.

Hotch sighed. "The letter was delivered to Anderson's desk. That means the unsub has access to the BAU. We've put the unit on lock down so that no visitors can enter. We're putting the boys into protective custody at a nearby hotel; Kevin is going with them. We need to analyze the letter for clues."

"Okay, JJ, what facts are wrong?" Prentiss asked her.

"He calls me Jennifer, which my friends don't call me. Ever," JJ started.

"Well, that could be because he only knows you from afar."

Rossi cleared his throat. "Or it could be Anna's way of saying she doesn't know him; doesn't recognize him."

"It talks about a lake competition, about how for three years I came in third," JJ continued, "but my town didn't even have a lake. It talks about how I loved to walk in the woods, which we all know is a blatant lie. I hate the woods. It talks about how my father didn't want me to join the Bureau, which is true, but it says that my father wanted me to be an architect because I played with Lincoln Logs as a kid. I never played with Lincoln Logs."

"So, we have a lake, the woods, and Lincoln Logs," Rossi reiterated.

"And the number three," Reid added, "the three years that JJ came in third. It wouldn't be just a coincidence."

Morgan laid his hands behind his head. "So, she's being held in a log cabin in the woods near a lake. What could three be?"

"Three roads? Three lakes? Three hours away?" Prentiss offered, unconvincingly.

"Let's focus on that later," Hotch dismissed. "Garcia, I want you to cross check everyone that has entered the building in the last twenty-four hours with property records of cabins in the woods near lakes. Morgan, Rossi, I want you to interview Anderson and see if there's anything else he saw. Prentiss, Reid, I want you to work on building a profile. JJ, you and I are going to stage a conversation about the letter and hope that he hears it. I want all conversations revolving around Anna and the letter to be done in Garcia's office. Until we know who he is, we can't trust anyone."

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"Wakey, wakey," "Barry" called to Anna, early the next morning. Anna moaned, but didn't move. "Barry" huffed. He kicked her repeatedly until she awoke. "I said get up!"

Anna fought tears as she opened one of her eyes; her other was swollen shut. "What do you want from me?"

"My sweet Jennifer received my letter. I heard her talking about it with her boss." He spat the word "boss" as if it was a dirty word. "She told him that whoever wrote the letter clearly knew her and she hoped that he would come forward so she could meet him; meet me."

"Congratulations," Anna said, bitterly, laying her head back down. Her head was swimming and she was finding it hard to concentrate on anything.

"I said wake up!" "Barry" shouted, punching her in the head.

Anna forced herself up, leaning against the pole. She looked at him, blearily, noticing he was wearing a blue work shirt with writing on it. She tried to read it without be noticeable.

"I need your help to write her another letter."

"What do you want to say?"

"Barry" smiled, blithely. "I want to talk about her today: what she likes; what she doesn't."

Anna took a deep breath to gather her thoughts together. "JJ's favorite show is Scrubs. She owns every season on dvd. She watches them whenever she gets a chance. Her loves to listen to music that she can dance to when she's in a good mood and loves to sing when she cooks."

"Good, good."

"Her favorite team is the Washington Redskins and even though their big rival is the Dallas Cowboys, it's really Cleveland that she hates. She wants three kids. She wants to settle down outside of the city, far from people, and be a stay at home mom."

"Then, why didn't she after that brat of hers was born?"

Anna swallowed hard. "Because Will wasn't strong enough to take care of them both."

"I will be," "Barry said, proudly. "I'll take care of JJ and our three babies."

"What about Henry?" Anna was unable to stop herself from asking.

"Barry" shrugged. "I'll get rid of the little brat."

"No!" Anna nearly shouted. She flinched when he moved as if to strike her. "I mean, she loves him. She doesn't want any harm to come to him. She's his mother. Leave him with Hotch. She'll know you understand her if you leave Henry with Hotch. She may not want him to start a new life, but-"

"Calm down!" he ordered. "I'm not in the business of killing children."

"What business are you in?"

"Uh, uh, uh. I'm the one asking questions here."

Anna slouched, her outburst had taken all of her energy. "JJ's favorite flower is a blue rose. You should have her wear a blue rose on her sweater to prove that she's interested in her."

"That is an excellent idea." "Barry" pulled a water bottle from behind his back. It was almost a fourth of the way filled. "You deserve a little treat."

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Hotch looked up from his desk when he heard his door open and close. JJ walked inside, looking like a zombie. She flopped down on his couch, despondently. Hotch moved from his desk to sit beside her. He ran his hand over her back.

"It's been over two days," JJ said, lowly, "over two days since we got the first letter. What if... he didn't buy our conversation? What if it I screwed something up?"

Garcia's cross checked had resulted in ten possibilities, but none had panned out. She had expanded the search to include properties of relatives, but it was slow moving. The rest of the team, growing more discouraged as time went on, had begun to profile everyone who worked on the same floor as the BAU.

Hotch kissed her temple. "You did everything you could. This isn't your fault anymore than it's my fault."

"What if she's-" JJ's voice trailed off as tears welled in her eyes. "She's been missing for three days. The chances that he still has her..."

He cut her off. "Anna's a fighter. She survived before against the odds. We have to believe that she'll survive this."

"Kiss me," JJ pleaded, surprising him. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips which neither of them escalated. When he pulled away, she added, "I'll believe anything when you kiss me."

Hotch blushed, unsure of how to respond. He brushed her hair from her face before leaning his forehead against hers. "Everything will work out."

"Hotch, we got a problem," Rossi hollered, entering the office without knocking. Both Hotch and JJ jumped up, following him out of the office. They found a gaggle of people entering the BAU. In the center was an elderly gentleman. Surrounding him was what looked like a team of well-dressed lawyers. Behind them stood several other people, including Anna's older brother, Teddy, and sister, Alexandra.

"Agent Hotchner!" the elderly gentleman called out. "I demand that you tell me just what it is that you're doing to find my daughter."

Anger flared instantly throughout Hotch's body. "You demand? What right do you have to demand anything?"

"I'm her father!"

Hotch took a step forward as Prentiss, Morgan, and Reid all came out of the conference room, hearing the commotion. "You lost the right to call yourself her father when you threw her away when she was eight years old!"

"You have no right! No right!"

Hotch took another few steps forward. Rossi and JJ followed right behind, ready to jump in if needed. "I have every right. I'm the one who's been there for the last thirteen years! I'm the one who helped her to pick up the pieces after the 'incident' as you all so cruelly call it."

"Now, listen here, Agent Hotchner," Alexandra began.

"No. You listen. I want you all out of here now!"

Anna's father stepped forward. "I will sue you and every member of this team if any-"

Hotch stood a few feet away from him, giving him his patented stare. "If you even finish that sentence, I will make sure every news organization in this country knows how you refused to pay the ransom for your daughter when she was eighteen years old and unleashed a serial killer. And I'll make sure they know that it's taken three days for you to show up this time around."

One of the lawyer's whispered in Theodore's ear. He nodded curtly before turning and walking away, leading the cattle of people away. Teddy lingered behind.

"Agent Hotchner, I know we haven't been a good family to Anna," Teddy said, sincerely. "I know we've been selfish. We do love her in our own family, even my father and Alexandra. If there's anything we can do, anything at all, please let me know."

Teddy waited until Hotch nodded before turning away. Hotch's shoulders hunched as the elevator doors closed and Anna's family disappeared. He looked down when he felt JJ's fingers link with his.

"What do you say we go see the boys for a bit?" JJ asked.

"Okay," Hotch agreed, starting to walk towards the elevator.

They were nearly run over at the door when Anderson came barreling through. "Agent Hotchner! This was found in the men's room."

Anderson held up another letter.

"BAU team!" Hotch barked, sending them all scrambling to Garcia's office. He thrust the letter into JJ's hands. "What's incorrect in this one?"

"It says I hate the Cleveland Browns."

"Hair color, maybe?" Prentiss offered. "Or eye color?"

JJ felt pressure to not disappoint the team clear down to her toes. She read and re-read the letter while every eye looked at her tensely. "Uh, he wants me to wear a rose, a blue rose; says it's my favorite flower."

"What's you favorite flower?" Reid asked, absurdly as if he was unable to not learn a new fact.

"Tulips," JJ and Hotch replied at the same time. JJ cleared her throat. "It says that I want to live outside of the city, away from people; that I want to be a stay-at-home mom to three kids."

Morgan sighed, "Again, with the the threes."

"None of that is true," JJ said, emphatically, almost insulted. "And it goes on and on about 'Scrubs;' how it's my favorite show. I don't even know that I've seen an episode of that."

"I have." Prentiss stepped forward. "It's one of my favorite shows. I own all of the seasons."

"Does Anna know that?" Rossi asked.

Prentiss nodded. "Yeah. Does it say anything specific about the show?"

JJ shook her head and handed the note over. She looked to Hotch, "What do you think?"

"I think you should do what it says," Hotch told her. "I think you should wear a blue rose. I think we need to play this up, but I don't want you going anywhere by yourself. Someone is to be with you at all times."

Any protest that JJ might have had died in her throat when she saw the fear and pleading in Hotch's eyes. She nodded slowly. "I'll wear a blue rose."

"Make it three," Reid suggested. "Three means something to Anna. Maybe, it'll tell her we're coming."

"Do you understand the 'Scrubs' reference?" Rossi asked Prentiss, who had gone quiet, while she studied the note.

She shrugged. "It just goes on and on about wanting to watch with her, nothing specific."

"She wrote it for you. There has to be something."

Prentiss put her hand to her forehead in distress trying to run over all the different ways "Scrubs" could play into this, but coming up blank.

"Okay, I want you to continue to think about what Anna was trying to tell you. Everyone else, keep doing what you're doing," Hotch ordered.

"You and I are going to see the boys," JJ told him, definitively. "They need to see us and you need to see them. We'll pick up roses on the way."

The team filed out of Garcia's office. Prentiss headed for Rossi's office so that she could analyze Anna's meaning without prying eyes. Rossi tagged along for her to bounce ideas off of, needing a break from interviewing. Reid went back into the conference room to review the case once again. Morgan returned to the interviews he had been conducting for the last few days.

Hotch and JJ visited the boys at the hotel. They were both subdued, wanting to go home, wanting to know where Anna was. Jack cried about missing school. Henry cried because Jack was crying. JJ cried along with them, overwhelmed by the entire situation. She caught Hotch wiping away a few tears of his own.

They returned to the BAU more exhausted than when they had left. JJ now wore a boutonniere of three blue roses just above her heart. Sensing Hotch needed some alone time, she gathered coffee for everyone. She wondered near aimlessly for several hours, checking on each team member periodically. Around dinnertime, she nabbed Garcia to grab dinner for everyone, escorted by several other agents. Dinner say largely untouched as appetites had left everyone. As if drawn by an invisible force, the members of the BAU team ended up in Garcia's office one by one.

"I got it!" Prentiss shouted, crashing through the door, the only member of the team not inside. "Garcia, you need to concentrate on the janitors. Look for anyone named Glenn, in particular."

"You got it," Garcia agreed, turning immediately to her computer.

"It must have been last summer," Prentiss explained. "We were talking about 'Scrubs' and she mentioned that her favorite scene was where the Janitor finally tells JD his name: 'Glenn Matthews.' He turns around and answers to a different name, but I think Anna was trying to tell us who he is. His name is-"

"Glenn Seligman, age fifty-three. He started working here about a year about JJ started in the BAU. He's already clocked out for the day."

"Address, Garcia," Hotch directed.

Garcia tapped a few more keys. "He has an apartment nearby."

"He wouldn't have her in an apartment," Morgan argued.

"His deceased brother-in-law has a cabin in the mountains next to Lake Antiquity. Sending the coordinates to your phones now."

"Let's go!" Hotch barked, leading them out of the room.

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"Wake up!" Glenn demanded. He shook Anna violently. "Wake up!"

Anna moved her head towards him. "Water?"

"Maybe. I need you to help me with another letter."

"I can't." Anna's voice was low and scratchy. It was painful for her to swallow and she wondered vaguely if she had caught an infection. "My head's not clear enough to think."

"You better start thinking if you want to make it 'til tomorrow," He spat back.

Anna teared up, exhaustion filling her every pore. "Maybe it's time to start talking about yourself. You've told her why you," Anna blanched, "fell in love with her. Tell her why she should fall in love with you."

Glenn stared at her, anger in his eyes. Finally, he gave her a crooked smile. "That's great idea. You get to live until tomorrow. I'll bring you up water after I write the next letter."

"Wait!" Anna croaked as he started down the steps. "Did she wear the rose?"

"She wore three," Glenn replied smugly before closing up the attic once again.

Anna laid her head back down. She allowed the tears to freely fall now, shaking her entire body. It couldn't be a coincidence, she thought to herself. They had to have figured out that she was talking to them through his letters. She had to believe they were coming for her. She just needed to hang on a little longer.

Closing the only eye she could open, she let her thoughts drift. Try as she did to direct them, they returned repeatedly to the fantasy where she was rescued. The black SUVs and accompanying police cars would slowly make their way up the dirt road, surrounding the house. Guns drawn, Morgan and Hotch would kick down the front door while Rossi and Prentiss covered the back. She laughed at herself, not even knowing if the cabin had a back door. Still, they would all come pouring in, shouting "Freeze, FBI!"

"Freeze, FBI!"

Anna jerked suddenly. Had she really heard that or were her dreams becoming that vivid?

"I said, 'freeze!'"

Anna felt her heart pounding as tried to sit up, leaning against the pole. She began to kick the floor as hard as she could, adrenaline pumping through her veins. She wheezed, "Here! I'm in here."

Anna took a deep breath before screaming with all her might, "Here! I'm in here! I'm here!"

She heard shots fired and ceased all movement. She held her breath as the attic opened up and the stairs were lowered. Anna burst into sobs as Reid popped his head up through the floor. He broke into a wide smile.

"I have her!" he shouted below. He gingerly pulled her into his arms, holstering his gun. "It's okay, Anna. We've got you. We've got you."

Hotch walked up to her and gently cut through the ropes on her wrists. Anna fiercely grabbed onto him when Reid let her go.

"I knew you'd find me," she cried to him.

"Can you stand?" Reid asked after a few minutes, allowing Anna to calm down a bit.

"Yeah." Anna grabbed his arms to stand up. As soon as she stood fully up, she collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"I need paramedics!" Reid shouted.


	17. Of Healing and Hiding

"I'm not leaving yet!" JJ hissed to Hotch.

"But the boys-"

"Exactly! I am not going to go see them until I can look them in the eyes and tell them that she's okay." JJ raised a hand when he opened his mouth to speak more. "No. I will only know she's okay when I can see and talk her myself!"

"I'm okay," Anna moaned, coming into consciousness. She only caught bits and pieces of their conversation, but could hear the tension in their tones. "Why are you yelling at each other?"

"Hey," JJ whispered as she and Hotch rushed to Anna's side. "How are you feeling?"

Anna opened her right eye as the other was swollen shut. "Pretty good. You're a little fuzzy. Good drugs?"

"Good drugs," Hotch confirmed. "It'll hit you later."

"Oh, good. Something to look forward to." She took a sip of the water JJ offered her. "So, why are you yelling at each other?"

"We weren't yelling," JJ protested. She sighed at the pointed looks she received from both Hotch and Anna. "We were having a disagreement over whether or not I should go to the boys."

Anna smiled, thinly. "You should go. You both should go."

Hotch shook his head. "Someone should stay with you. You have a concussion. You need to be woken every two hours."

"Which the nurses will be happy to do." Anna raised her non-casted wrist. "Look, the only thing I'm going to do is sleep. There's no point in wearing yourselves out. Have you even gotten any sleep over the last few days?" She waited while he shrugged. "Go home. Go give Jack and Henry a great, big hug from me, tell them that I'll be okay, and that I'll see them in a few days. They're going to need you, especially Jack. He's probably going to have nightmares again."

Hotch studied her for a few minutes. "Okay. We'll go home, but we're going to be back here first thing. We have to... go over what happened to you."

Anna was already drifting off to sleep. "You really know how to make a girl swoon, Hotch. I'll see you in the morning."

They waited until Anna was asleep before leaving the room. They passed Reid, pacing in the hallway, telling him of their plans to head to the hotel and assuring him that Anna was asleep for now and that he could go in. Neither noticed Morgan lurking in the shadows.

They found Kevin watching television in the hotel room. He jumped up nervously when they entered the room, rushing over to the door.

"How is she?" Kevin asked, mostly to JJ. Hotch made him incredibly nervous, even after all this time.

JJ smiled at him before glancing past him to one of the large beds where Jack and Henry were curled up together, asleep. "She's banged up, but she'll be okay. How where the boys?"

"As well as can be expected," Kevin told her. "They're pretty great kids. They really want to go home, though. They keep asking about Anna."

"Nightmares?"

"A few," he admitted. JJ smiled, sadly.

"Thanks, Kevin," Hotch said, speaking from near the couch. "I don't know what we would have done without you these last few days."

"You're welcome, sir." Kevin paused at the front door. "Penelope wanted me to let you know that we'd be happy to watch the boys tomorrow, whether at home or at her place."

JJ smiled again, thanking him, before watching as he left. "I think he deserves to be upgraded to 'Uncle Kevin.'" She turned to find Hotch staring blindly at the boys. She walked over, placing a hand on his back. "Let's get some rest, Hotch."

He followed her, wordlessly, as she dragged him to the boys' bed. She pushed him down next to Jack and removed his shoes. She kicked off her own shoes and got in on the other side. JJ pulled Henry in her arms, placing a hand on Jack's head. She watched Hotch for a few minutes as he stared at the ceiling.

"She's back. She's safe," JJ whispered. She waited until he looked at her. "Go to sleep."

Hotch nodded once before scooting down in the bed. He mimicked JJ's actions, pulling Jack into his arms and placing a hand on Henry's head. They moved so that they were all bundled together, careful not to wake the boys. JJ kissed Hotch's hand before closing her eyes to go sleep. Hotch was right behind her.

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Anna opened her eyes a second time during the night to Reid sitting next to her bed, staring at the wall. She wanted to close her eyes and fall back to sleep, but could see by the tension in his face that he needed to talk to her, to make sure that she was okay. She cleared her throat to get his attention.

"Anna!" Reid gasped. He leaned over her, critically eying her injuries. "Are you okay? Do you need something?"

"I'm fine," she reassured him. "Why are you here?"

Reid shrugged. "I didn't want you to be alone."

"You should go home. You're going to hurt your neck sleeping in that chair." She frowned at the hesitation in his eyes. "Honestly, Spencer, there's going to be lots of sleepless nights ahead. You should get your sleep while you can. I'm too drugged to have any nightmares tonight."

"I don't feel right about leaving you alone."

Anna shifted her right hand over his, hiding as much of the pain as she could. "None of you guys have slept much over the last few days. I can see it. Please go home and sleep. You're just making me worry about all of you."

Reid sighed, knowing the longer he protested, the longer she would stay awake and she needed her sleep. "Okay. I'll leave when you go back to sleep. I'll be back in the morning."

"Okay." Anna closed her eyes and let her body relax. She feigned sleep until he left the room. She waited another ten minutes to make sure he wasn't coming back before allowing herself to go back to sleep.

She dreamt of attics, of ropes, of faceless monsters in the dark, despite her insistence that she was too drugged to dream. She awoke with a start, her right arm flailing in front of her, shouting, "No!"

"It's okay. Ssh. You're safe," a voice whispered reassuringly.

Anna opened her eyes to see Morgan sitting next to her. He was attempting to immobilize her so that she didn't injury herself further. Her voice was panicked. "Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital."

"Oh. Right." Anna took a few deep breaths, forcing herself to relax back into the bed. Pain shot through her and she knew she would have to call for pain medication soon. "What are you doing here?"

Morgan regarded her warily. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"That's not your responsibility anymore." Anna looked away from him, her voice trembling. "What I need is to be left alone. I need to sleep. I need to process. I need everyone to let me. I'll be here in the morning."

Morgan studied her for a few moments. "Okay. But I'm going to right outside that door if you need anything."

Anna nodded. She called to him when he reached the door, "Thanks."

"Always."

The nurse came in not long afterward and Anna requested more pain meds. She slept with no more dreams even after the nurse came in to wake her several more times. Anna was sitting up in bed picking over a meager breakfast when Hotch and JJ returned this time with Rossi in tow.

"Morning," Anna greeted, her voice still scratchy, though not as much as during the night. "How are my boys?"

JJ took a sit on her left, gently running her hand over the cast on Anna's wrist. "They're good. They're anxious to see you. We told them that it would be a few days."

"Have you talked to your doctor?" Rossi asked from his position at the foot of her bed. He was making a concentrated effort to focus on her eyes and not her injuries.

Anna nodded. "Most of my injuries are on my left side. He... favored that side: broken wrist, broken ribs, separated shoulder, a concussion, and the bruises that you can see. They're making me stay in the hospital for at least a week. I should be healed in four to twelve weeks with physical therapy. You're going to have to find somebody to watch the boys. I'm sorry."

"Geez, Anna," JJ breathed out. "Don't worry about that. Focus on healing."

Anna picked at the IV line in her hand. "Who knows... about the kidnapping?"

"We managed to keep you name out of the news, but the story did go out," JJ told her.

"I called your father," Hotch said, speaking for the first time. "Your family knows."

Anna nodded, but said no more. Rossi glanced between JJ and Hotch waiting for either of them to speak first. When neither did, he cleared his throat. "So, kiddo, you ready to talk about it?"

"No," Anna replied honestly, "but I'd rather get this over sooner than later."

Anna took a deep breath, irritating her ribs, before beginning her tale. She told them of pulling into Wegman's parking lot, of parking in the back of the lot as she always did, a habit she picked up after her initial kidnapping when people made her jittery. She told them of a white van that pulled along side her, that she turned to move away from it quickly, then of a sharp pain in her neck before nothing. She told them of waking up in the van and then in the attic, but not knowing how long she had been asleep.

She explained that she didn't want to help him with the letters, but that he had threatened Jack and Henry and backed it up with a drawing of Jack's. She explained that he had been watching Anna and Hotch for years, waiting for a sign that it was their time to be together, but that his plan changed when he saw JJ for the first time. She explained how it had been Glenn that had committed all of the rapes and murders the first time, but that he had spent the years training an apprentice to take over. It was the apprentice, Rodney Walters, that did the latest murders, going so far as to believe that he was the one who did the original murders.

When she finished, she heaved another breath as if emerging from under water. Her voice had been steady, devoid of any emotion. She had no tears in her eyes, no shaking of her hands. She answered their questions dutifully. She was aware of the nervous glances that passed between Hotch and JJ, but made no outwardly indication that she saw them. She refused to look anyone in the eye and when she had finished talking, she focused only on a loose thread on the blanket covering her body.

"Hey, kiddo?" Rossi called to her, breaking the silence that blanketed the room. He waited until her eyes made their way to his before continuing. "You did good."

Anna gave him a small smile before turning her attention back to the loose thread. She could feel Hotch studying her, but refused to respond to his unvoiced questions. She looked up only when the door opened and the doctor walked in. He sent Rossi, Hotch, and JJ out of the room to check Anna over.

"She's hiding things," Hotch huffed when the hospital door closed.

Rossi placed a hand on Hotch's shoulder. "Yeah, she probably is, but what do you say we let her have this one?"

"Dave-"

"That kid has been through hell since the day she turned eighteen, and especially this year. If there are some... things... that she doesn't want to share right now, let it go. She'll talk when she's ready."

Hotch huffed, his shoulders sagging in defeat. "How am I suppose to protect her if she doesn't tell me everything?"

JJ laced her fingers through his. "Let's go get some coffee. We'll come back to visit her in a bit."

Hotch let her tug him down the hallway, leaving Rossi behind. He stopped her as they rounded the corner, pulling her into his arms. He gave her a kiss that she felt all the way to her toes and left her holding onto him when he pulled away. Hotch leaned his forehead against hers, their breaths intermingling.

"I'm sorry," Hotch said, sheepishly. "It's not really the most appropriate thing to do with everything going on."

"You're talking to the girl that practically mauled you in the middle of the police station on our last case." JJ smiled when he gave her a ghost of a grin.

Hotch cupped her cheek with his hand. "I know I still owe you a talk, but I have to say this. I couldn't have gotten through these last few days without you. I needed you every step of the way and every time I turned you were there; making me eat, making me sleep, making me keep going."

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be, then by your side," JJ told him, pouring all of her emotions into her eyes.

"I love you," he said, no hesitation, no fear in his voice. "I know we have to figure out how this is going to work with the boys, with the team, and I know that we both have commitment issues that we need to work through, but I need you to know, I love you."

JJ captured his lips, kissing him passionately. She broke off only when she gasped for air. "I love you, too."

Hotch moved to kiss her again, when a loud clanking sound to their right caused them both to jump. They laughed nervously as the reality of where they were at sunk in.

She grabbed his hand once again. "Come on. Let's go get that coffee."

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"Don't move!" Hotch admonished, rushing to Anna's side. He helped pull her into a sitting position while she sighed and rolled her eyes. "You're going to hurt yourself if you don't ask for help."

"Please tell me you're here to take him home," Anna told JJ as she walked into the room, annoyance laced through her tone.

JJ glanced from Anna to Hotch. "Well, actually, I plan to take him home as soon as Reid gets here."

Anna shifted angrily. "I don't need a baby-sitter. I'm an adult. One of you doesn't have to be here at all times."

"Strauss gave us some time off, we might as well use it. It doesn't happen very often," JJ said, trying to lighten the conversation.

"Anna, you need help. You're still injured," Hotch said, plainly. "Someone needs to help you sit up, lay down, go to the bath-"

"Okay, okay!" Anna cut him off. Hotch glared at her, but she simply stared back.

JJ cleared her throat to draw attention back to her and away from whatever standoff was going on between Hotch and Anna. "So, did you get a chance to talk to the doctor today?"

"Yeah, they're letting me go in two days."

"You didn't tell me that," Hotch said, incredulously.

Anna through her good hand in the air. "I figured you'd just read it in my charts. You're completely up in my business anyway."

JJ rubbed her face. "Okay, what is with the two of you? You're practically at each other's throats."

"I'm tired of being treated like an invalid."

"I'm just trying to help," Hotch told her.

Anna took a deep breath, schooling her face to shut down. "I'm sorry. I'm just tired of being here. It's been over five days."

"I'm sorry, too. I guess I'm being a little overbearing."

"Who's being a little overbearing?" Reid asked, walking into the room. Hotch raised his hand.

JJ rubbed Reid's arm. "Hey, Spence."

"Hi, Spencer," Anna greeted. She gave him a brief smile. He returned a slightly troubled one.

"Okay, well, we've got to go," JJ announced, breaking the silence that ascended over the room. "The boys are expecting us for dinner. Anna, I will see you in the morning. We'll start to get everything ready for your homecoming."

"Thanks," Anna said.

Hotch and JJ said their good-byes before walking out of Anna's hospital room. JJ grasped his hand as soon as the door closed. "What's going on in that head of yours?"

Hotch shrugged. "There's something going on with Anna. She's not herself."

"That's not really surprising, though, given what she went through."

"She had been kidnapped and raped and lost her mother when she was eighteen and she still managed to joke with us hours after being rescued. When she thought she had faced him down last year, she was making movie plans with Reid as they were leaving the crime scene. Yes, she had a breakdown later, but that was tears and grief. She just seems... almost frustrated by all of us, but as soon as she starts to show too much emotion, she shuts down."

JJ opened the driver's side door and got inside. She waited for Hotch to get in before speaking. "Maybe after everything, it's just enough. Maybe she has to deal with things differently this time."

"Maybe." Hotch placed a hand on her thigh as he stared out the window. "Do you know she hasn't called me her 'big brother' once since we rescued her? She hasn't called Reid anything other than 'Spencer,' either. She's only referred to Jack by his name and not as 'HJ.' She even cringes a little each time Dave calls her 'kiddo.' It's subtle, but it's there."

JJ removed one of her hands from the steering wheel to lay it over his. "We'll figure it out. We'll get her through this. We're a family."

"I hope so." Hotch fell silent. He said nothing the entire car ride home. Henry and Jack raced to the front door when they heard it open.

Jack hung off of Hotch's legs. "When's Anna coming home?"

"In two days," JJ answered him.

"Yay!" Jack shouted, causing Henry to shout also.

Jack held tighter to Hotch's leg. "Aunt Penelope made us lasagna. She said that Uncle Dave taught her how to make it. She said that we probably haven't had a decent meal in two weeks."

Hotch frowned. "She did, did she?"

"Yeah. Daddy, what does decent mean?"

"Daddy. Daddy!" Henry reached for Hotch from JJ's arms. He smiled when Hotch took him.

"Hello, my lovelies," Garcia said, breezing into the hallway. "Dinner is cooling on the stove. It should be ready to eat in about ten minutes. How's Anna?"

"She'll be home in two days."

Garcia clapped. "Oh, good! I'll make a bunch of meals tomorrow so all you have to do is heat things up the next few days. I'm sure you're not going to want to worry about food."

"Thanks, Penelope, for everything," JJ told her, walking her out the door.

"Okay, guys," Hotch announced to the boys. "Let's get some dinner and have a little talk."

JJ prepared the plates of food while Hotch settled the boys at the table. He waited until they were mostly through dinner before beginning the conversation that they needed to have. "You guys know that Anna was hurt, right?"

"Yeah," Jack answered, distractedly, trying to wrap cheese around his fork. "But she's coming home so she's all better."

"Well, she's better than she was, but she's still hurt."

JJ stroked his hair when he looked to her for confirmation on what his father was saying. "Anna's going to have a cast on her wrist and sometimes she's going to wear a sling. She's not going to be able to pick you guys up for awhile."

"She won't be able to bend over to pick things up and she's going to walk slow for a little bit," Hotch continued. "Anna's going to be tired a lot more than normal. She's going to have to take naps."

"Yuck, naps," Henry interjected.

Jack sighed. "We're going to have to be careful with Anna, aren't we?"

"Yes." Hotch smiled, proud of his son for realizing that. "Anna's in a lot of pain. But she'll get better; she's already getting better. We just have to be very careful for a few months."

"What's going to happen when you and JJ go to catch the bad guys?"

JJ tickled Jack to get him to smile. "Your dad arranged it so that he is going to stay home when the team goes to catch the bad guys. Aunt Penelope and Uncle Kevin are going to help out when your dad has to work late. Henry's going to go to daycare where your dad and I work."

"Tyler's mom is going to pick you and Tyler up after school," Hotch explained further, noticing the tension in Jack's face. You're going to stay there until JJ or I comes to pick you up."

"What about Anna? She'll be here all alone." Jack's bottom lip quivered at the thought. "She needs us."

JJ pulled him onto her lap, wrapping her arms around him to hold him tight. "Anna's going to have a nurse come a few hours a day to help her and take ger to physical therapy."

"Phys-ic-al what?"

"Anna has to go see a doctor a couple of times a week to help fix her shoulder."

"I know it's a lot to take in," Hotch told him, "but it's only for a little while. As soon as Anna's better, everything will go back to the way it was."

Jack laid his head on JJ's shoulder. "Okay."

"What do you say we watch a movie and eat some ice cream tonight?" JJ offered.

Jack shot his hand in the air. "Yes!"

Jack didn't bring up anything related to Anna the rest of the evening. Initially, JJ thought it was good that he hadn't dwelled on Anna, but laying in her bed, she wasn't as convinced. Jack was an inquisitive child, caring and compassionate. His willingness to drop the subject was starting to make her nervous.

"JJ?" the subject of her musings called out.

She turned to see Jack standing in the doorway. "Hi, sweetheart. Is everything okay?"

"Can I sleep with you?" he asked, meekly.

"Of course." She threw the blanket back, waiting for him to crawl in. Jack moved close to her so that their foreheads were almost touching. "What's going on?"

Jack sighed. "What happens if Anna doesn't get better?"

"Anna will get better. She already is," JJ assured him.

"But if we leave her by herself, she might fall down and hurt herself or she might need something that can't reach or..."

JJ gently brushed the hair from his forehead. "Or what?"

"What if the bad man comes back to get her?" Jack whispered, tears falling from his eyes. "I have to be here to protect her."

"Oh, my Jack." JJ pulled him into her arms, holding him tight. "You are the sweetest, greatest little boy in the whole world. Anna's okay. She's safe and the bad man is gone. He can't hurt her or anyone else. I love that you want to protect Anna, but that's not your job. It's your job to give her as many hugs and kisses as you can and to make her laugh."

Jack lifted his head. "And to draw her pictures? She likes my pictures."

"Exactly. You draw her as many pictures as you want and let your dad and me worry about the grown-up stuff."

JJ laid his head back down next to hers. "I love you, JJ."

She kissed his forehead. "I love you, too, Jack."

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"Careful. Careful," Hotch urged Anna as she climbed through the front door two days later.

Anna sighed, annoyed. He had been even more overprotective since her release from the hospital and she already was having a hard time breathing. "I'm fine, Hotch. Just glad to be home."

"Anna! Anna!" Jack and Henry shouted when they saw her. JJ held them back from running to Anna.

JJ knelt beside the two boys. "Remember what we talked about. We have to be very careful around Anna. She's very hurt."

"Come give me some sugar," Anna told them.

"Gently!" Hotch ordered.

Anna patted the tops of their heads as they hugged her legs. She noticed Henry's fascination with her cast and held it out for him to see. "You and Jack get to color on this later."

"Really?" Jack said while Henry cheered, "Yay!"

Anna nodded before she looked at Hotch. "I think I need to go lay down now."

"Okay, guys, let's let Anna take a nap. We can go see her later," JJ told them, grabbing them from her. She attempted to distract them while Hotch helped Anna to her room. She gingerly laid on the bed.

"Do you need pain pill?" he asked. Anna nodded, trying to settle where it hurt her ribs the least. "I'll grab you a bottle of water."

JJ met him in the kitchen. "How was she?"

"Quiet." Hotch shrugged as he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. "She didn't really say much and what she did say was just expressing her irritation with me."

JJ rubbed his arm. "I'm sure she's just tired and in pain. She'll be back to her old self soon."

"I hope so." He leaned down and kissed her briefly. "Have I mentioned how glad I am that you're here?"

"Only daily."

Hotch smiled, his dark eyes finally showing the sparkle that she loved so much. "I'm going to give this to Anna and then we can figure out what we were doing for lunch."

"Sounds good."

Hotch returned to Anna's room, pausing in the doorway. She was half sitting up against the headboard with Jack and Henry on either side of her. She had a book on her lap. Jack was "reading" to Anna and Henry, which consisted mostly of him of telling them a story based on the pictures with a few sentences that he had memorized thrown in.

"Have you seen-" JJ started to say, walking up behind them. She stopped when she saw the scene in the bed. "Do you think we should get them?"

"Don't you dare," Anna ordered. She shot them both a glare that had them holding up their hands. Hotch darted in, putting the bottle of water on her nightstand. Hotch and JJ made a hasty retreat.

Jack snuggled in closer to her. "I'm glad you're home, Anna."

"Me, too," Henry agreed.

"Me, three."


	18. Of Boldness and Darkness

"Motch," Henry said, solemnly, walking into the kitchen where Hotch was making breakfast. "Anna still sick."

Hotch smiled at him. It was the same report that Henry had provided every morning for the past week. He seemed to believe that one of these mornings he was going to wake up and Anna would magically be cured. Hotch picked him up and put him in one of seats at the table. "But she'll feel better soon."

Henry nodded, seemingly satisfied with his answer. "Jack!" he shouted as Jack entered the kitchen, carrying his backpack.

"Morning, Henry," Jack greeted. "Morning, Daddy."

"Morning," JJ said, breathlessly, breezing into the kitchen while hopping into one of her shoes. She grabbed the plates in Hotch's hands and placed them in front of each of the boys, giving each of them a kiss. JJ turned back around taking the plates for herself and Hotch before sitting at the table. Hotch say beside her, putting a cup of coffee at each of their places. "Has anyone checked on Anna?"

"She was sleeping before I started breakfast," Hotch replied.

Jack shook his head. "She's awake. She doesn't want to eat breakfast."

"Anna sick, but she get better," Henry added.

"Yes, she is," JJ agreed. She changed the subject to Jack's upcoming day, letting the chatter of the boys fill the kitchen. In her occasional glances to Hotch, she saw that he was deep in thought, but over what she wasn't quite sure.

"Do you think you can get their shoes on?" JJ asked Hotch as they cleaned up after breakfast. He nodded. "I want to check on Anna before we leave."

JJ knocked almost timidly on Anna's door. Since coming home from the hospital, conversations with Anna were always tense. JJ waited until Anna called for her to come in before entering. Anna was laying in bed, staring out the window.

"Do you need anything before we leave?"

Anna rolled her head to face JJ. "No, thank you."

"Okay. There's a plate of food for you in the microwave when you're hungry. Do you want help to the kitchen?"

"No, I'll be fine." Anna resumed her watch out of the window. "Thanks."

"Well?" Hotch asked when JJ met him and the boys at the front door. She frowned sadly to indicate that nothing had changed. Hotch ushered them all out the door. They dropped Jack off at school, then Henry off at the daycare, before reaching work. JJ hurried to her office while Hotch went off to his. He worked diligently for several hours until interrupted by a knock on his door.

"You need something, Dave?" Hotch sighed after Rossi hovered in the doorway for a few moments without speaking.

Rossi stepped inside, closing the door behind him. "So, how are things at home?"

Hotch shrugged. "Anna's still closed off. The boys are confused. JJ and I are overwhelmed."

"How's that going, by the way?"

"We haven't really had time to... discuss any change in our relationship."

Rossi sat down in one of the chairs across from Hotch. "Why not?"

Hotch laid his pen down, knowing he wasn't getting back to work anytime soon. "Between Anna and the boys and getting everyone settled, when would we have found the time?"

"You should make the time. In fact, you should do it tonight. Get Reid to watch the boys."

"I don't know," Hotch hesitated.

Rossi tapped his fingers on Hotch's desk. "Consider it a favor to that kid. He's worried about Anna, but he doesn't know what to do about it. He keeps trying to think of an excuse to go over there, but he can't come up with a plausible one. He's distracted. It's starting to show."

Hotch was quiet, mulling it over. He was dying to take JJ out on a date, a real date, but somehow it just didn't feel right with everything that Anna was going through. She had been found a little over two weeks ago. On the other hand, he could really use the break and he was pretty sure that JJ could, too. And if Rossi was correct in his assessment, Reid could use the night with Anna. Having made up his mind, Hotch gave Rossi a short nod.

Hotch returned to his paperwork, signaling his end to the conversation. His thoughts, however, were directed only on the blond liaison down the hall. After going twenty minutes or so without getting any further in his work, he stood and walked out of his office. The bullpen was surprisingly quiet for late morning with nearly everyone buried deep in paperwork.

Hotch stood in the doorway of JJ's office for a few moments watching as she chewed on her bottom lip while deeply studying the file in front of her. He felt his groin tighten as he zeroed in on her lips and shifted to release some pressure. His movement caught her attention.

"Everything okay?"

"Um, yeah," Hotch replied. "Do you have a minute? I have a question."

JJ nodded, indicating for him to sit down. She watched as he closed the door and sat down. He focused on his fingers tapping on the desk. JJ sighed. "Whatever it is, Hotch, just ask me."

"Would you like to go out on a date... with me... tonight?"

JJ paused for a moment before bursting out with laughter.

"Why are you laughing at me?" Hotch asked, crestfallen.

"Hotch," JJ said, calmly. She grabbed one of his hands across the desk, "you practically shouted that you love me in the middle of a crowded hospital hallway with David Rossi only thirty feet away, but you're having trouble asking me out on a date?"

Hotch chuckled at her statement, realizing the ridiculousness of the situation. "So, is that a yes?"

"I would love to go on a date with you tonight." She released his hand. "Do you need me to find a baby-sitter?"

"I've got it all covered." He stared at her for a few minutes longer, a goofy grin on his face. "I guess I should get back to work."

"Yeah, probably."

Her laughter carried him out the door and through the rest of the day.

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Hotch pulled the chicken out of the oven just as the doorbell rang. He hastily placed the chicken on a burner before rushing to the door. He found Reid standing on the other side, expectantly.

"Come on in, Spencer." They both paused at the awkwardness of Hotch calling Reid "Spencer." It felt slightly foreign for Hotch to say and and for Reid to here. "Thanks for doing this on such short notice."

"No problem." Reid shot him a half smile as he stepped inside. "So, where are the boys?"

"They're upstairs watching JJ get ready." He shifted a bit. "We told the boys that we were going to a work thing. They don't know anything about... us."

Reid nodded. "Got it."

"Dinner's on the stove," Hotch continued. "JJ has the boys' schedule up on the fridge, but if you have any questions, you can ask Anna."

"How is Anna?"

Hotch shrugged. "She spends a lot of time in her room in the evenings. She's been working hard at therapy so she's exhausted by the end of the day."

"Uncle Spencer!" Jack shouted. He raced down the stairs and jumped into Reid's arms. "I missed you!"

"Me... too," Reid replied, almost bewildered. He blushed to his roots and he hugged Jack.

"Mama's beautiful," Henry announced from the top of the stairs. Hotch, Reid, and Jack all looked up. JJ was standing there in a simple black dress, her hair in curls around her shoulders. She wore a simple gold necklace and gold studs in her ears. Hotch watched her hips, mesmerized by the way they swayed back and forth.

Reid cleared his throat. "You look wonderful, JJ."

"Thank you," she told him. Hotch and JJ said good-bye to the boys before leaving the house. Hotch grabbed her hand as soon as they reached the front of the garage out of view of the house. He pulled her flush against his body, placing a single kiss behind her ear.

"You look beautiful, wonderful, amazing, and sexy," he growled in her ear, causing her to shiver in the warm September air. She looked at him, sharply, surprised by both his tone and his words. She had seen glimpses of this Hotch before, but never quite so brash. Gone was the shy, almost timid Hotch from this morning and it sent flames of fire right to her groin.

JJ felt her mouth go dry. "You look pretty good yourself."

Hotch smirked at her, tugging on her hand. He released her hand only to get into the car, grabbing it again as soon as they were settled. He interlinked their fingers, running his thumb occasionally over her skin. The car ride was silent as if they were both afraid that talking would spark the static that filled the air.

"What do you think?" Hotch asked JJ as they were led to their table.

JJ glanced around the crowded restaurant. "It's exquisite."

"It's not half as exquisite as you," he said, causing her to blush. They sat at the table, placing their drink order with the waiter. Hotch grabbed her hand again.

"You're... different tonight," JJ commented.

Hotch looked at her questioningly. "Different good or different bad?"

"Definitely good." She bit her bottom lip briefly. "You're bolder, less inhibited. I like it." She ducked her head, gazing at him through her eyelashes. "Will I get to see more of this side of you?"

"Do you like it?" Hotch leaned forward.

JJ mimicked his movement. "I like it very much."

"Then, plan on seeing a lot of it in the future."

JJ felt a warmth spread from her chest down to her toes. She scooted closer to him, using her free hand to gently brush the hair from his forehead. She moved forward placing a soft kiss on his lips. She kissed him a second time, letting her lips linger a little longer. She went in for a third kiss, but was stopped by the arrival of their waiter with their drinks.

"I suppose we should try to look at the menu," JJ muttered as the waiter walked away. Hotch raised his eyebrows, heat in his eyes causing her to turn bright red. JJ shook her head at him before focusing on her menu, a small smile on her lips.

"What was my first impression of you?" Hotch repeated. The waiter had just taken their dinner order and now JJ was staring at him intently, waiting for an answer. He wondered, not for the first time, why they didn't use her in interrogations more often. "My first thought was 'Wow, she's gorgeous,' followed by 'Wow, she's young,' followed by 'Wow, I'm old,' followed by 'Wow, she's going to eat Morgan alive.'"

JJ chortled, remembering the day. "That's a lot of 'wows.'"

"Yes, you are." Hotch delighted in seeing her blush again. It was becoming his favorite color on her. "I knew after five minutes of talking to you that you would fit in perfectly with the team. I knew two minutes after that I was going to offer you the position no matter whom else I interviewed."

"Wow." Both JJ and Hotch grinned at her use of the word. "I really thought you barely tolerated me those first few months."

Hotch shook his head, growing serious. "Haley and I were going through some things at the time. We had a difficult time conceiving Jack. Growing close to the new, beautiful young agent on my team just seemed like a recipe for disaster. But," Hotch's face lit up, "you wormed your way in and became one of the few people I trust both on and off the job." He took a sip of wine. "What about you?"

"My first impression? I absolutely must work for that man!" JJ giggled at his shocked expression. "The first time I saw you wasn't when I went in for the interview. You remember Danielle Lewis?"

"She's the one that recommended you for the position. She was relentless in making sure you got an interview."

JJ nodded. "I didn't want that interview. I had heard all about the BAU reputation for long hours and crazy travel. Plus, the entire FBI was ripe with rumors of you and of Gideon. I told Dani I didn't want to transfer. She forced me to go do recon before saying no." JJ paused as their food was placed before them. She took a bite of pasta, savoring the flavors before continuing. "I saw you in the hallway just tearing into some agent for a mistake he made that cost the team a case. He offered to explain what happened to the family, but you wouldn't let him. I stayed and watched while you talked to that family and never once did you place blame on anyone, but yourself. I thought that anyone with that much passion was someone I wanted to work with. I went straight back to Dani and demanded that she get me an interview."

"So, you saw me berate another agent and that made you want to come aboard?"

She smiled, naughtily. "It may have turned me on a little."

Hotch froze before tossing his head back in laughter. He calmed only when he saw other patrons looking at them through tears in his eyes. "That was good."

"You want to go for a walk?" JJ asked Hotch as they left the restaurant. He had laced their fingers together once again as soon as they stepped outside, pulling her close to his side. "There's a little park just up the street."

They were quiet as they made their way to the park, simply enjoying being with each other. Hotch pulled her to an empty bench in a quiet corner of the park. He sat down, keeping one hand in hers. She scooted close enough to him that they were touching knee to thigh.

Hotch ran his hand across her forehead and down her cheek. He moved them to her hair, rolling the curls between his fingers. "I had a really great time tonight."

"So did I." Her voice was low.

"Would you like to do this again?"

JJ was surprised by the doubt that had crept into his voice once again. She pitched forward, ghosting a feather light kiss against his lips. She pulled back only enough to see his eyes. "I would love to do this again and again. What about Friday night? We can see if Reid can baby-sit again."

Hotch nodded, enthusiastically. He opened and closed his mouth several times before speaking. "We should probably talk about what we're going to tell people."

"What are we going to do about work?" JJ asked, suddenly panicked.

"Rossi has a plan."

JJ snickered. "Why does that scare me?"

"Because it's Dave. I don't know exactly what his plan is, but he is more confidant about it than I've ever seen him. We just have to tell him to pull the trigger."

The certainty in his tone allayed her fears. She took a deep breath. "Well, Reid knows and clearly, Rossi knows. Penelope and Emily will be relentless until they know everything. Penelope will tell Morgan whether he wants to know it or not."

"That's a lot of pressure," Hotch breathed out. "Why don't we just give them the basics? We'll let them know that we're seeing each other, but we'll keep the details to ourselves... for now."

"That sounds wonderful. Not terribly realistic, but we'll try it." She paused. "We shouldn't tell the boys."

"No," he agreed, immediately, "not with everything they've been through, everything coming up. It's going to be hard. I want to grab you and kiss you senseless every time you walk into the room."

JJ took her free hand and put it on the back of his head, running her nails over his scalp. "That wouldn't keep this from the boys for too long."

Hotch kissed her cheek. "No, I don't suppose it would." He kissed her earlobe before tugging it between his teeth. JJ's eyes fluttered closed as Hotch kissed down her neck, stopping occasionally to suckle her skin when she sighed.

JJ took his head in both of her heads, removing him from her neck. Her eyes danced as she admonished, "No bruises!"

Hotch grabbed her waist, dragging her half onto his lap. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip before plundering her mouth with his tongue. He could taste the chocolate of their shared dessert. Hotch ran his tongue over her teeth and along her cheeks seeking any hint of the chocolate he could find. JJ sat fully on his lap, never breaking the kiss. She rocked his pelvis, her fingers gripping the back of his neck so hard that she was sure she would leave marks. Hotch moaned as she warmed up his lap. He moved his hands up until his thumbs rested on the underside of her breasts. JJ thrust her tongue over his as frenzy need began to overtake her body.

"Hey, Jerry! Wait up!" a male voice called from somewhere near the bench where Hotch and JJ were currently devouring each other.

JJ broke the kiss and slide back slightly, but didn't release her grip on his neck. "Oh, yeah. This keeping this relationship quiet is going to be a piece of cake."

Hotch guffawed. He placed a series of chaste kisses on her lips while his breathing and pulse steadied. JJ stood when they heard the same voice as before and another even closer. She held her hand out. "We should probably get back home anyway. It's a school night."

"Everything looks calm," Hotch commented as they pulled into the driveway. They could see the porch light and the living room light on as they drove to the house.

"Hopefully, that's not because Anna convinced Jack and Henry to tie Spencer up," JJ joked. The grimace on Hotch's face made her laugh harder, even as she began to wonder if it could happen. Opening the front door, they heard only the noise of the refrigerator kicking on. "Hello?"

"Hi," Reid answered, emerging from the living room with a book in his hand.

Hotch glanced at JJ before turning back to Reid. "How did everything go?"

Reid gave them a half shrug. "Okay, I guess. The boys were good. They ate and took their baths without complaint. They're, um, they're sleeping with Anna. They all kind of circled the wagon at bedtime."

"It's okay, Spence," JJ reassured him. "Jack and Henry are very protective Anna right now."

"Is there something more?" Hotch questioned him, noticing him squirm.

Again, Reid shrugged, looking at the floor. "She wouldn't come out of her bedroom, not for dinner, not for anything. She would only talk to me about the boys. She didn't even ask how my day was. She always asks me how my day was."

JJ ran a hand soothingly over his shoulder unable to find any words of comfort.

"I think she used them as a shield," Reid continued, "Jack and Henry. I think she convinced them to stay with her at bedtime so that she didn't have to risk talking to me. I'm worried."

"She's been going to a therapist three times a week," Hotch told him. "I'll give her a call tomorrow."

Reid nodded, though he remained unconvinced.

"Is there any chance that you're free again on Friday?" JJ redirected.

"Uh, actually, I have another date with Lauren."

JJ's eyes lit up. "Oh, really? Things are going well then?"

"So far." Reid's face was as bright as a ripe tomato. He quickly bade them good night.

"You okay?" JJ asked Hotch after watching Reid drive away.

"I don't know. She's such a different Anna than one I've ever encountered. I don't know how to help her," he admitted, painfully.

JJ placed a kiss on his lips. "She'll figure it out. You'll help her tread water until she does. Talk to her psychologist. Let her know your concerns. I'm going to go check on the boys before heading to bed."

"Do you think we should move them?"

She shook her head. "I think they're fine for tonight. Good night, Hotch."

"Good night."

Hotch knelt by JJ's bed later that night, watching her sleep. He was mesmerized by how beautiful she was sleeping peacefully. He gingerly reached out and began to run his fingers over her face until she open her eyes.

"Everything okay?" she whispered, trying to climb through the fog in her brain.

Hotch nodded before grinning mischievously. "I just wanted to say good night."

"You woke me up to say good night?"

Again, Hotch nodded. JJ opened her mouth to say more, but quietly found it covered by Hotch placing a light kisses on her lips. Gradually, he left his lips on hers for longer intervals, increasing pressure with each kiss. JJ growled in frustration at his teasing. She grabbed his head to keep his face to hers. She opened his mouth with her tongue intent on taking control of the kiss. Hotch, however, had other plans as he sucked on tongue until she was making small noises of pleasure deep in her throat.

Hotch pushed at her shoulders to move to the middle of the bed. He followed after her, throwing one leg over her hip. He broke the kiss to move his lips across her jaw, running his tongue over her ear. His hands roamed up her body, gathering the fabric of her t-shirt as he went. He left her t-shirt on, pulled just above breasts. Hotch ran his thumbs over her nipples feeling them harden. He recaptured her mouth with vigor while he rolled and pinched her nipples.

Hotch repositioned himself so that he was straddling her waist. He took a moment to look down at her swollen lips before taking in her round, rosy breasts. He licked the tip of her nipple causing her to arch upward. He pulled the rest of the nipple into his mouth, sucking hard until she cried out. He grabbed her wrists when she moved to touch him, holding them above her head, moving his attentions to the other breast.

JJ squirmed against his hold, her body on fire. He released her wrists as he placed a line of kisses down her stomach. She watched him, her eyes wide, as he snagged her pajama pants and panties, moving them down her legs at a painstakingly slow pace. JJ's heartbeat sped up even faster as Hotch placed a kiss on the inside on one knee. He placed another kiss on the opposite thigh. He placed a third kiss just above her public hair.

"Make sure you breath," Hotch told her. He held her gaze as he searched through her folds lazily memorizing where she shifted and writhed. He found her clit with his thumb. He circled it around and around, observed her breathing turn into heaves. Hotch crept one finger slowly inside, searching, feeling. He added a second digit when she began to moan. He replaced his thumb with his mouth, sucking until she cried out in orgasm. He lapped at her until she came back down.

Hotch moved up her body, kissing each of her breasts good-bye before pulling her t-shirt back down. He placed a kiss on her lips and then one on her forehead. "Good night, JJ."

Her eyes followed him as he left the room. She wanted to call out for him to stop, that she wanted to take care of him, but she didn't have the energy. He had taken everything from her gleefully and she felt as if every molecule in her body was floating. She vowed, as she drifted off to sleep, that she was going to surprise him one night soon just as he had done to her.

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"You know," Rossi said, walking into the office the next day, "you are almost disgustingly happy this morning. I take it things went well last night?"

Hotch looked at him sharply before realizing that he meant the date. "Things went perfect."

"Good. Am I going to get any details?" Rossi chuckled at Hotch's glare. "I guess not. How about Reid and Anna?"

"Not so well. She kept away from him as much as possible; kept the boys as a barrier between the two of them. I called her therapist to let her know our concerns."

Rossi sat down. "You better hope Anna doesn't find out."

"I don't know what else to do for her. She won't talk to me, won't talk to JJ. I thought maybe she would talk to Reid when it was just the two of them, but that didn't happen. Her nurse says that she's out of her room while we're not there and that she works really hard at physical therapy. I thought she was just exhausted by the end of the day, but it's becoming more and more clear that she doesn't want to be around us."

"Why don't you let me try talking to her?" Rossi offered. He and Anna had always had a good relationship built on mutual respect. He felt as though they had become closer since she moved in with Hotch nearly a year and a half ago. He wanted to cradle her like a child, protect her from the evils in the world.

"Actually," Hotch replied slowly, breaking through Rossi's thought. "JJ and I need a baby-sitter on Friday if you're available."

Rossi grinned. "You must be pretty desperate to go out with this girl again if you're asking me to watch Jack and Henry." Hotch was unable to stop the smile that grew when he thought of JJ. "I would be happy to help with anything that puts that smile on your face."

"Thanks, Dave. We appreciate it."

"I think," Rossi said as he stood, "that my generosity entitles me to some details from last night."

Hotch scowled at him. "Get out, Dave."

Rossi left the room, chuckling. He ran into JJ just outside the office. "Hey, JJ. Have a good time last night?"

"What exactly did you tell him?" JJ asked, entering Hotch's office.

Hotch jumped up nervously from his seat, much to her amusement. "I didn't tell him anything. He just... infers."

"We have a case." She handed him a folder and began to pace, distressed.

"What's the matter?"

JJ sighed. "It's our first case since... since Anna came back. We're going to end up taking it and we're going to do it without you."

He placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll still be involved, just on the phone."

"I know. It's not the same."

Hotch kissed her forehead. "It's only for a little while." He turned his attention back to the file. He nodded as he finished it. "Gather the team."

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Rossi smirked as he closed the front door of Hotch and JJ's place. The team had gotten home early Friday afternoon. JJ rushed him through paperwork so that they would all be home by dinner. She changed into jeans and a t-shirt, prodding Hotch until he changed into jeans and a polo. With a quick kiss to Jack and Henry, they were out the door.

Rossi headed down the hall to Anna's bedroom. He knocked on the door before entering. Anna was sitting, clothed against her headboard. Jack and Henry sat on either side of her. All three of them were coloring in coloring books. Both Jack and Henry eyed him suspiciously as Rossi moved into the room. Anna just watched him blandly.

"What are you guys doing?" Rossi asked, even though he knew.

"We're coloring, Uncle Dave," Jack told him, matter-of-factly. Henry added, "We color, Unc' Dave."

Rossi pretended to study their pictures. "Good job. I need you guys to go wash your hands. It's almost dinnertime."

Henry glanced at Jack who looked at Anna. Anna nodded with a small smile. Jack crawled off the bed, helping Henry down, too. They both scurried into Anna's bathroom. Rossi leaned down and kissed Anna's forehead, surprised to feel her flinch.

"How are you, kid?" he asked. "And don't feed me the party line."

Anna shrugged. "I'm hanging in there. Everything's healing faster than expected. The shoulder and the ribs should be fine in another week or so."

"That's not exactly-" Rossi started, but was interrupted by Jack and Henry returning to the room.

"We're all done, Uncle Dave." Jack held up his hands.

Henry also held up his hands, repeating, "All done."

"Well, let's go. There's pizza to be eaten." Rossi grinned as Jack and Henry cheered. "Coming, Anna?"

"I'm not really hungry," Anna protested.

"Don't you guys want Anna to come eat with us?"

"Yeah!" the boys shouted.

Anna sighed. She carefully rose from the bed and followed them to the kitchen. Rossi forced her to take some food, but noticed that she only ate half a slice of pizza and a few bites of salad. He used the boys to keep her out of her room for the next few hours; first by getting them to beg her to play for awhile and then, by insisting he had no idea how to get them ready for bed.

He was waiting for her in her bedroom when she returned from putting the boys to bed. Anna huffed and rolled her eyes. She pulled a bottle from her nightstand and took a pill.

"You have about twenty minutes to lecture me before this pill kicks in and knocks me out," she relayed.

"I'm not here to lecture you."

Anna raised her eyebrows. "No?"

"No. I just want to know what's going on with you."

She burrowed into her blanket. "You know what's going on with me. Everyone knows what's going on with me. I'm not really sure what else you want from me."

"You're hiding from everyone. You won't let anyone in to help you."

"I'm... hanging... right now," she admitted, the pill having loosened her tongue. "The floor has fallen away from me. I need to get back to my routine before I can deal with any of this. I need to be better to get back to that routine.

"Oh, kid," Rossi breathed.

Anna yawned. "All of my energy is on getting better. I don't have the strength for anything else. But all of you want me to deal with the emotional stuff."

"I don't-"

She cut him off, forcefully. "Yes, you do. I know what you did tonight, using the boys to keep me out of my room. Except, now, I'm exhausted and I hurt and I had to take a pill when I've been trying not to use them." Her voice softened as her eyes began to droop. "You think you're helping, but you're not."

"We're trying. We need you to try a little, too."

Anna licked her lips. "I'm seeing my psychologist three times a week. I need you to trust that I know how to fix me."

Rossi reached out and stroked her hair. The heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach grew as he said, "Okay. I'll back off for now."

"Thank you," she muttered, drifting off to sleep.

He waited until her breaths deepened before leaving the room. He walked up and down the hallway, through the kitchen, the living room, the dining room, trying to clear his thoughts. He knew Anna was in a lot of pain. He also knew she wasn't going about healing the right way, but was afraid that she would completely cut herself off from the rest of them if he pushed any harder.

Rossi sat down on one of the living room couches. He turned on the television, absently leaving on an old sitcom re-run. She may not want to talk to him directly, he decided, but he was going to pay much closer attention to her so he could be there to catch her when she fell.


	19. Of Happiness and Wariness

"Can I talk to you about something?" JJ asked Anna, walking into her room. Anna was sitting at her desk, reading her laptop. She motioned for JJ to sit down on the bed. JJ took a moment to study Anna while gathering her thoughts. Anna's skin was still pale, though not as bad as it had been. Her eyes were tires, a few circles under them, but that wasn't completely unexpected. The medication Anna was on had been playing havoc with her sleep schedule. She still wore the cast of her left wrist, though the shoulder sling was a thing of the past. JJ peered at the cast, realizing for the first time that it contained only pictures and stickers from the boys. There were no other signatures.

"JJ?" Anna questioned when JJ had been silent for awhile.

JJ smiled. "Sorry. You know that Hotch and I have gone out on a few dates the last two weeks."

Anna nodded, causing JJ to pause again. She had expected some sort of reaction out of Anna. She didn't even get a twinkle in Anna's eye.

"I've noticed something strange," JJ continued. She took a deep breath feeling heat rise to her cheeks. "On our first date, he, uh, was really kind of bold. He kissed as soon as we were away from the windows of the house. He held my hand almost the entire night." JJ leaned forward, her voice lowering. "We even ended up making out in the park. Hotch! Granted, it was in the back of the park and we stopped as soon as we heard anyone."

"Sounds like it was a good date," Anna said so calmly it was nearly emotionless.

JJ nodded, her blush growing even more pronounce. "It was possibly the best date I've ever been on. It didn't even end at the door. He snuck into my room later that night and he, um... he..." JJ took a deep breath. "Let's just say I was a very satisfied woman that night.

"Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?"

JJ froze, not expecting that reaction from Anna. "Partially. He's been bold when it comes to that kind of thing or when it comes to telling me how beautiful I am, how wonderful I am. But then, each time he asks for another date, he's so unsure. I mean, the guy tells me he loves me in the middle of a busy hospital hallway, but he stumbles over asking me out on a second date? That's weird, right?"

"That's definitely weird," Anna replied. She stood from the desk and walked over to the dresser. She began to fix her hair.

"You know Hotch better than almost anyone," JJ continued, pushing her frustrations over Anna's non-answers down. "What do you think that is?"

Anna put body spray on. "I think Hotch is very insecure when it comes to personal relationships. I think he can't believe that you want to be in a relationship with him so he hesitates when it comes to asking more from your relationship, but at the same time he loves you so much, he wants to show you just how much he loves you so he does whatever it is that he thinks will make you happy."

JJ watched her thoughtfully. "How can I make him more secure in this relationship? How can I make him happy?"

"You're asking the wrong person on that one. Making other people happy in a relationship is not exactly my strong suit."

JJ opened her mouth to counter Anna's statement, but she sensed Anna would just argue with her in a vicious cycle. Instead, she roved a critical eye over Anna. "Are you getting ready to go out?"

Anna nodded. "My friend, Weber, is on his way now. You guys are in for the night, right? I mean, it's not like you'll let me baby-sit anyway."

"I'm just surprised. I didn't think you were cleared for that kind of activity." JJ chose to ignore her last statement.

"I'm not, although I should be at my appointment next week. Well, except for the cast." Anna sighed as JJ continued to stare at her. "I'm not going dancing. I'm just going to hang out at the club, see some people I haven't for awhile. I'll sit at a table and drink water. I'll be fine."

"I didn't mean to imply otherwise." JJ frowned as Anna looked at her with the same blank eyes that had been so prevalent lately. She opened her mouth to say more, but was stopped by Anna's cell phone beeping.

Anna glanced at her phone. "My ride's outside."

"Well, have fun." JJ followed Anna out of her room. She watched quietly while Anna said a quick good-bye to Jack and Henry before leaving the house.

"Someone leave?" Hotch asked, walking up from the basement. He had been working in his office down in the basement.

JJ nodded at the door. "Anna's going out with some friends."

"Good. She needs to get out." He paused at the frown on JJ's face. "Is something wrong?"

"No," she assured him. "It's just-"

"Daddy, can we watch a movie?" Henry asked, running out of the living room to hang off Hotch's leg.

"Yeah, Dad, can we watch a movie?" Jack echoed.

Hotch glanced at JJ, who shrugged. "I guess so."

"With popcorn?"

"Of course!" JJ agreed, shaking off the uneasy feelings that her conversation with Anna had created. "What's a movie without popcorn?"

Hotch lead the boys into the living room while JJ made popcorn and drinks. They spent the evening curled up on the couch enjoying a relaxing family night. Anna hadn't returned by the time they went to bed.

"Morning," Anna greeted, stumbling into the kitchen the next morning where Hotch, JJ, and the boys were eating breakfast.

"Late night?" JJ asked her as Anna poured herself a cup of coffee.

Anna shrugged. "Not too late." She sat down at the table, ruffling Jack's hair. "So, what are we talking about?"

"My birthday!" Jack told her proudly. "I'll be six!"

Hotch explained further. "He's torn between doing something with his class and having a birthday with his family, his whole family."

"Why don't you do both?" Anna sipped her coffee. "Set up a case for the kids to work."

"And let the team lead them," JJ added, excitedly. "That's a great idea. What do you think, Jack?"

Jack nodded, enthusiastically. "That sounds great!"

"What are your plans for today?" Hotch asked Anna.

Anna stood, putting her cup in the sink. "Last day of physical therapy unless the doc orders more and lunch with a friend."

"A gentleman friend?" JJ teased.

Anna barked out a forced laugh. "I doubt anyone would call Weber a gentleman. He's having girl issues. When he has girl issues, he likes to bend my ear." Anna waved them off as she left the kitchen. "I'll see you all later. Have a great day."

Hotch looked at JJ. "See, she seems better, more like Anna."

JJ nodded, though she remained unconvinced. It hadn't escaped her notice that Anna hadn't eaten any breakfast and hadn't even touched most of her coffee. The thoughts scattered, however, when Henry spilled his juice all over the table, threatening to make them all late that morning.

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JJ glanced up from her paperwork to see Reid pacing outside her office the next week. It was the third time in an hour that he had done so. Initially content to let him come in on his own time, he was now becoming a distraction from the pile of cases she had to go through.

"Spence!" JJ called out suddenly.

Reid froze before popping his head inside. He gave her his most naive look. "Yes?'

JJ sighed. "You've been wearing a hole in the carpet outside my door for the better part of an hour. What's going on?"

"I want to talk to you." Reid stepped fully inside the office. He shut the door, looking nervously around the room before sitting down. "About Anna."

"What's going on?" JJ asked, putting her pen down.

Reid took a deep breath. "I don't want to seem like I'm spying on her, but... how is she?"

"What do you mean? Haven't you been going out with her?"

Reid's eyes widened in confusion. He was unable to mask the hurt in them as he shook his head. "I haven't seen her since right after I baby-sat. We met for coffee and she asked me to back off a bit. She told me that she needed time and that I should focus on getting to know Lauren."

JJ closed her eyes briefly. "I'm sorry, Spence. We thought she was meeting you when she was going out."

"She's been going out?"

"Almost every night."

Reid's chin quivered almost imperceptibly. "That's good, right? She must be feeling better."

"Spence-"

"No," he cut JJ off. "I'm glad she's out in the world, even if it's not with me." He stood abruptly. "Just let me know if something changes. I should get back to work."

JJ let him go, her heart breaking for him. She resolved to talk to Anna about when they got home that night. She remained preoccupied with Reid and Anna the rest of the day, quiet as she worked, as they picked up Henry from daycare and Jack from his friend's.

"Anna! We're home!" Jack called out as he, Henry, Hotch, and JJ entered the house.

"How was your day?" Anna asked, emerging from her bedroom. She hugged both Jack and Henry.

Jack held up a piece of paper. "We learned about 'H' today. H is for Hotchner and Henry and happy."

"Henry!" Henry yelled.

"Are you happy, Anna?" Jack asked her, innocently.

Anna sidestepped the question by asking, "What else starts with 'H?'"

Jack tapped on his chin. "Hand! Heart! Hot dog!"

"Guess what's for dinner?"

"Hot dogs!" both Jack and Henry shouted together.

"Yep." She looked up at Hotch and JJ for the first time. "Everything's in the kitchen ready to go."

"You're not staying for dinner?" Hotch asked her. For the first time, JJ took in Anna's outfit. It was clear that was going out to a the club.

Anna shook her head, her red curls dancing. "I've got plans. I was given the all clear today. I just have to go back in a couple of weeks to get the cast removed. Time to go celebrate."

Hotch froze. "You don't want to celebrate with us? Maybe make some plans for being the nanny again?"

"I just figured you'd want to wait until Monday to pull Henry from daycare and Jack from Tyler's." She paused when there was a beep outside. "That's my ride. I will see you later."

"Don't you think that's a little odd?" JJ asked, following Hotch into the kitchen. "Anna celebrates everything with us and the boys. Hell, she threw a breakfast anniversary celebration when we had been living together for two months."

Hotch was pulling condiments from the refrigerator. "I'm just happy she's not holed up in her room any more. She'll find her equilibrium eventually. We just need to back off a bit."

JJ sighed, but nodded, sensing Hotch was unwilling to look any further into Anna's behavior. Besides, it's not as if Anna was doing anything wrong per se, just out of the ordinary for her. JJ desperately wanted to believe that Hotch was right and Anna just needed time to reset herself, but the niggling feeling in her stomach wouldn't quite go away no matter how much she wanted it to.

She gasped suddenly when she felt Hotch grab her from behind and pull her against him. He gently stroked her stomach through her blouse. She put up a halfhearted effort to get away from him. "What are you doing? The boys are in the living room."

"What do you say we watch a movie in my room after the boys are asleep?"

"Deal," she giggled, his breath tickling her ear. He released her just before the boys entered the kitchen for dinner. Hotch continued to tease her the rest of the night: a brush of her knee as they sat down to dinner, a touch of her shoulder as she helped Jack with his homework, a quick squeeze of her butt cheek as she was bathing Henry all while making sure that she couldn't reciprocate.

JJ locked Hotch's door after shutting it after the boys were asleep. She had her yellow robe wrapped tightly around her body, her blond hair flowing around her shoulders. Hotch was sitting against his headboard in the middle of the bed wearing a pair of gray sweatpants and a navy t-shirt. He smiled at her, motioning for her to join him.

"What movie do you want to watch?" he asked her.

"You know, I don't really feel like watching a movie." She stepped forward until her knees were nearly touching the end of the bed.

Hotch raised an eyebrow. "You don't?"

JJ slowly removed her robe revealing a deep purple satin bra and matching thong. She smirked when she heard him breath in sharply. JJ crawled onto the bed, languidly moving up his body. "I was thinking we could do something else."

"Something else?" His voice cracked slightly at the end as she settled on his lap, running her hands over his chest.

"Mm-hm," she replied. JJ leaned forward, putting her breasts in prominent view. She placed a series of wet kisses along his neck. She sat back on his lap, pressing down to feel him swell against her.

"JJ-" Hotch's words failed him as she wiggled in his lap. "G-God, you're beautiful."

"Thank you," JJ told him, proudly. "I think, however, that one of us is a bit overdressed." She once again ran her hands up his chest, gathering his t-shirt as she went. She pulled it over his head and tossed it behind her before once again leaning forward. She captured his lips with her own, gently applying pressure until he opened his mouth to hers. She thrust her tongue into his mouth, claiming it as her own.

Hotch scooted so that his back was fully on the bed, bringing JJ with him, never breaking the kissing. JJ lay fully on him, clenching his erection. Her hands fisted in his hair as she kissed and kissed and kissed him until they were both vibrating with need.

"JJ!" he gasped, breaking the kiss. His pelvis was thrusting into hers instinctively. JJ sat up, letting him calm down a bit before she removed her bra. She took his hands and brought them to her breasts. Gently, almost fleetingly, he massaged her breasts, starting on the outside and moving inward. Hotch sat up just enough to take one in his mouth, sucking. JJ bit her lip hard to stop herself from crying out. He took one of his hands and maneuvered it between their bodies. He stroked her panties, her wetness seeping through.

"Hotch. Hotch," she chanted, breathlessly. She pushed him away and moved down his legs, grabbing his sweatpants to find he wasn't wearing any underwear. Hotch shrugged when she sent him a questioning look. She stopped when the sweatpants were around his knees. JJ ran her tongue along the length of him, swirling around the tip. She looked at Hotch sharply when he made an inarticulate noise.

"I can't- you can't-" he stuttered. JJ nodded, understanding. She removed his sweatpants the rest of the way and took her underwear off. She straddled him once again, running herself teasingly against his hardness. Hotch grasped her hips to hold her still. "Are you sure?"

She smiled widely. "Absolutely."

"Good." Hotch used his hips to tip her, hovering over her. He braced his weight on his forearm as he lowered his lips to her, using his other hand to cup her breast, running his thumb over her nipple.

JJ flung her head into the pillow as he rolled the nipple. "No more waiting. Please."

"Wait." Hotch moved towards his nightstand, but was stopped by JJ.

"Don't worry. I have us covered and I want to feel all of you," she told him, shooting a look towards his cock. She tilted her pelvis so that he was up against her opening. "Now."

Hotch pushed into her, slowly, savoring the feel of her all around him. He watched her closely for any signs of distress making adjustment as needed. Hotch stopped when he was completely inside of her, loving the feel of her smooth skin against his, until she twitch impatiently. He pulled back out just as slow, but immediately plunged inside. From there, he set a frenzied pace, hitting each of her spots. Hotch kissed every inch of skin he could reach while she met him for each thrust. He felt her breaths grow shallow and knew she was getting close. He wasn't far behind.

JJ dug her nails into his backside, moaning, "Faster. Faster."

Hotch hitched her legs around his waist, pounding into her. He delighted in the sounds she made and the sweat glistening over her body. Snaking a hand between, he found her bundle of nerves and rubbed. JJ shattered around him, sinking her teeth into his shoulder to muffle her screams. She was sure the mark she was leaving would stay for a week a more. Hotch pushed into her four more times before coming himself. She pulled his mouth to hers, swallowing the sounds of his orgasm.

He sank lowered her shaking legs before sinking into her, exhausted by their exercise. JJ held him close to her, running her hands leisurely over his back. Her body twitched occasionally causing his to twitch also. After a few minutes, Hotch raised his head and kissed her sweetly.

"You're beautiful," he told her, "and that was amazing."

"Yes, you were," JJ smirked. He rolled beside her, bringing her with him. She snuggled into his chest, drawing playful circles over his abdomen. "I wish I could stay all night."

Hotch kissed the top of her head. "You could."

"You ready to explain this to Jack and Henry?" Hotch growled his disappointment, but didn't argue. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

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"You have been disgustingly happy the last couple of weeks," Prentiss said as she and Garcia cornered JJ in her office. "What's going on?"

JJ pursed her lips, hoping to clamp down on the blush she felt coming. "I'm not sure what you mean."

Garcia studied her closely. "You've been getting some. You've been getting a little boss loving."

"Garcia!" JJ hissed while Prentiss made a face that managed to convey both intrigued and disgust.

"So, how is he? He must be good with that twinkle in your eye that's been there for the last two weeks. I bet he's a real wildcat in the sack. Sure, he seems all stoic and proper, but that completely goes away behind closed doors, doesn't it?" Garcia continued.

Prentiss placed a hand on Garcia's shoulder. "Please, stop. Just... stop."

"Sorry," Garcia muttered. "Guess I got carried away there. I'm just really glad to see you happy. You are happy, right?"

JJ smiled, shyly. "Yes, I'm happy."

"You've definitely made Hotch happy," Prentiss said. "He's the only one of the BAU boys that is these days. The rest of them have been walking around in a funk, even Rossi and he actually sees Anna."

"It'll get better," JJ assured them. "Anna's already getting better. She's back to watching the boys. Her cast came off this week. Her physical therapy has been done for awhile. They'll bounce back when she does and she's getting there."

Prentiss raised her eyebrow. "You really believe that?"

JJ shrugged. "Hotch does and he knows her better than anyone."

"Hey, JJ?" Morgan knocked almost timidly on her door. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

JJ looked away from Prentiss and Garcia. "Sure. Something going on with a case?"

Prentiss and Garcia quickly made themselves scarce.

"Ah, no." He closed the door before sitting in the free chair. "Actually, it's about Anna. I'm... a little worried about her."

"Wouldn't you rather talk to Hotch about this?"

Morgan puffed his cheeks, breathing out slowly. "Definitely not."

"What's going on?"

"Well, you know how Emily and I went to that dance club last Saturday with Penelope and Kevin?"

She peered at him curiously. "Yeah?"

"After Penelope and Kevin left and while Emily was dancing, I ran into Anna." He looked at her almost apologetically.

JJ nodded. "She's been going out a lot lately."

"Well, I was standing at the bar..."

Morgan stood at the bar with a beer in his hand. Truthfully, he was ready to go home, but he was Prentiss' ride and she was having a good time. He didn't want to ruin it. Instead, he stood watching the crowd, begging off the few dance offers he received.

It was the cast that first caught his eye. A basic white, it was covered in stickers and crude drawings. Morgan's eyes roved upward and he found himself staring at his ex-girlfriend. She was standing at the edge of the dance floor surrounded by people. Her hips where moving back and forth slowly, but she kept most of her other movements restricted. She had a drink in her right hand.

Morgan knew he was staring, but he couldn't help himself. She was wearing his favorite pair of jeans, the ones that hugged her backside and a skintight black shirt, cut low enough to show the top of her bra. Morgan grimaced when he saw someone nudge Anna before pointing at him. He watched as she strolled over to him, expecting the worst.

"Hey, Derek," Anna said, standing close enough that he was able to smell the sweet scent of her perfume.

"Anna, hi." He scrambled to not fumble his words, but having her so close was muddling his brain. "I'm surprised to see you at a dance club."

Anna shrugged. "I'm almost healed. Physical therapy's been done for a couple of weeks. I'm okay as long as I don't overdo it so I keep my dancing to a minimum for now. The cast should come off next week. My doctor says that overall I'm making a remarkable recovery."

"That's great."

She took half a step closer, pressing her breasts to his side, smiling when she heard him inhale sharply. "So, what are you doing here?"

Morgan pointed to the dance floor. "Waiting for Emily to exhaust herself."

"I see." Anna began to crawl her fingers slowly up his stomach. Morgan bit back a groan. "What do you say we get out of here for a bit? Wait for Emily in your car? You know, for old time's sake?"

Morgan caught her hand. "I'd love to go somewhere and talk."

"Tell you what." Anna extricated her hand from his, anger and annoyance burning in her eyes. "When you don't want to talk, give me a call."

With that, Anna turned and walked away from him, adding an extra sway in her hips. She reached for the nearest male in the group she was with, pulling his body close to hers and moving to the eat of the music. She never glanced back at him, no matter how long he watched her.

"... Emily came off the dance floor not long after that and I lost track of Anna," Morgan finished.

"That doesn't sound like Anna," JJ commented.

Morgan shook his head. "She was really angry with me when I turned her down. I could feel it rolling off her entire body. She hasn't spoken to me since she left the hospital and the first thing she does is offer to jump me in the middle of a parking lot? That's not the Anna I know. Have you noticed anything off?"

JJ nodded. "A few things: she goes out a lot... a lot. She's not eating like she used to and I know her sleep's off. I've heard her rattling around at all hours of the night. She's pulled away from me and from Hotch, but I expected some of that. She hasn't talked to Reid in weeks."

"What can we do? What can I do?"

"I don't know. I'll talk to Hotch after Jack's party next Saturday. I don't want to risk ruining it. You're still coming, right?"

Morgan stood. "Of course. I wouldn't miss it."

JJ rubbed her face with her hands as Morgan left her office. It was becoming increasingly difficult for her take Hotch's, and even Rossi's, lead to sit back and let Anna bounce back in her own way. She only allowed the boys around her for any extended period of time. She kept herself away from JJ and Hotch physically, spending time either in her room or out of the house. JJ thought Anna was opening up to Rossi; he had been forcing her out to dinner at least once a week, but she recently learned from him that she kept their conversations light.

The news about Anna losing herself in the crowd was most disturbing to JJ. If there was one trait that JJ was sure Anna would keep, it was her aversion to being touched by strangers in a crowd. Yet, here she was, not even two months after the kidnapping, dancing close to anyone she could. She wanted to talk to Hotch about it, wanted to put all the pieces together, but Prentiss and Garcia were right. He was the only one of the boys that wasn't walking around wounded. He was happy; content to believe that Anna was getting better and that their family was coming together. The family part she could agree with, but Anna, not so much. Still, JJ hesitated to bring reality crashing down on Hotch.

"Hey, beautiful," the object of her thoughts said, walking into her office. "You ready for lunch?"

JJ grinned at the smile Hotch was throwing her way; the one that always made her heart skip. All thoughts of Anna left her head as she replied, "Absolutely."

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"JJ!" Jack cheered as he jumped on her bed. "It's my birthday party today!"

JJ bolted upward, lost in the last vestiges of sleep. She laid her hand on the bed beside her, thankful to find it empty. The last thing she remembered was cuddling deep into Hotch's chest. "Morning."

Jack giggled. "Your hair's funny."

"Oh, ha-ha," JJ replied. She tickled him. "Is anyone else up yet?"

"I don't know. I came to your room first. I wanted to see you."

JJ smiled, her heart swelling. She pulled him into her arms. "Thank you, sweetheart."

"For what?"

"For being the best birthday boy in the world! What do you say we go see if Henry's up and then go make some breakfast?" JJ asked, throwing her hair into a ponytail.

Jack jumped off the bed. "Anna's making breakfast pancakes. She told me she would last night." He stopped at the door, turned, and ran back, giving her a big hug. "I'm glad you and Daddy made it home in time for my birthday."

JJ wiped a tear from her eye as she watched Jack skip to Henry's room. They had been gone over a week on a case in Utah and for awhile, it didn't look like they would make it back in time for Jack's party. Rossi was already working on calling in favors to get the team to fly in and out in the same day to attend the party when Reid broke the case wide open. They were able to apprehend the unsub late yesterday and flew home immediately, arriving just in time to put the boys to bed. Anna left to go out not long after.

"You're up," JJ said in surprise when she entered the kitchen. Anna was putting the finishing touches on breakfast.

Anna gave her a strange look. "I promised Jack birthday pancakes."

"Yeah, no, I know," JJ stumbled. "It's just that it's your first day to sleep in late in a week."

"Happy Birthday Party Day!" Anna said as the boys entered the kitchen with Hotch in tow. JJ caught the fake enthusiasm in her tone, but no one else seemed to notice. Anna quickly left the kitchen with claims that she had already eaten and needed to get things ready for the day.

"Hey, Jack?" JJ asked him while Henry had Hotch preoccupied by telling him about an episode of "Bob the Builder" he had watched yesterday. "How's Anna been lately?"

Jack shrugged while he chewed on a big bite of pancake. "Fine."

"Has she been sleepy or angry or crabby?"

Again, Jack shrugged. JJ sighed internally, her attempts at gathering information failing. She ate her pancakes slowly watching her three guys interact. Henry had abandoned his seat in favor of sitting on Hotch's lap. He was alternating between feeding Hotch pancakes and eating them himself while Jack was telling them both an animated story from school earlier that week.

All too soon, breakfast was over and it was time to get ready for the party. Hotch, JJ, and Jack spent the day cleaning and decorating. Anna kept Henry in the kitchen with her preparing food except for his nap. Most of the team arrived shortly before the party was to begin. The other guests soon followed.

"About time you got here," JJ teased Reid, opening the front door. "The kids are ready to start their cases."

"Sorry. I got held up," Reid explained, sheepishly.

JJ grinned at him. "Book or documentary?"

"Book," he admitted, stepping inside. He glanced around the house seeing balloons, decorations, people, and food everywhere he looked. "Where's Anna?"

"Hiding in the kitchen under the guise of preparing food. Come on. Jack's been looking for you."

"Uncle Spencer!" Jack called out as if on cue. He jumped into Reid's arms. "Mo- I mean, JJ said that you get to lead my team for the case. Isn't that awesome?"

Reid glanced at JJ who chuckled. "That's, uh, pretty awesome."

"He asked for you specifically," JJ told Reid as she led him to the backyard. It was a nice enough day that they moved a lot of the activity out there. "I think he misses you."

"I've missed him, too." Reid opened his mouth to say more, but was stopped by Hotch's announcement that the case could now begin. For the next forty-five minutes, the members of the BAU team ran the kids through all kinds of obstacles until the case was finally solved. Nearly everyone at the party was laughing by the end as the kids came up with increasingly ridiculous situations to solve the case.

"That was a roaring success," JJ said to Hotch. "I've already gotten requests from two moms to help set up their own cases."

Hotch looked over at the two women JJ had been talking to. "You have to watch out for Mrs. Delouise. She's a bit of a swinger." He laughed loudly at the shocked face JJ made.

"Hey, guys," Rossi interrupted. He motioned to the food table. "I think you're running low on supplies."

JJ nodded towards the house. "Anna's got that covered."

"Anna-" Morgan started as she walked outside carrying a plate of food. Anna rolled her shoulders and walked quickly away, missing Morgan's crestfallen face. She had done a good job of avoiding anyone on the team except for quick hellos. She planted a fake smile on her face as she turned her attention to the mother of one of Jack's friends. Morgan jumped when he felt a hand on his back.

"Everything okay there, sweetie?" Garcia asked him, watching him as he tracked Anna.

Morgan nodded. "Yeah. I guess she's not ready to talk to me just yet."

"Hey buddy," Anna said to Jack where he stood with JJ and Hotch. "Are you ready to do the cake?"

"Yeah." Jack paused, suddenly, before running off at full speed. "Uncle Sean! Uncle Sean!"

Anna broke into a huge smile, trailing after Jack. JJ looked at Hotch, who shrugged. "Last I heard, he couldn't make it."

"Maybe he had a reason to come," JJ commented, watching as Sean leaned down and kissed Anna. Anna smacked him playfully, but leaned up to kiss him again.

"Hey, big brother," Sean said, walking to them, his arm around Anna's waist, keeping her close. He shook Hotch's hand. "Sorry, I'm late. There was an incident in Philly that delayed the train." Sean turned to JJ. "JJ, it's good to see you again. You are clearly doing wonders for my brother. He looks happier than he has in a long time."

Hotch cleared his throat to remove focus from the increasingly red JJ. "Why didn't you tell us you were coming?"

"I only found out last night that I could get the time off. I've got to head back tomorrow afternoon."

Anna stiffened suddenly, glancing to her right. "I'm going to get the cake."

"Cake time," Hotch explained to Rossi and Morgan when they came to greet Sean. Rossi nodded in understanding, but Morgan rolled his eyes. Seeing Sean and Anna threw him in a tizzy that he was barely able to contain. He moved to the back of the party when Anna returned with the cake. Morgan remained on the periphery for the remainder of his time there and was amongst the first to leave. His behavior did not go unnoticed by Garcia, Prentiss, and JJ. Neither did it escape their notice how Anna nearly hung off of Sean.

The party wound down for everyone else early in the evening. It took another few hours to clean up, even with the help of Sean, Garcia, and Kevin. Only JJ and Sean remained in the kitchen, putting away the rest of the food.

"So, you and Anna seem cozy," JJ commented to Sean. She laughed when his ears turned red.

Sean rubbed his face with his hands. "We've always had a bit of a... peculiar relationship. We can go years without seeing each other and act just like we did today." A sly smile slide across his face. "I'm more interested in what's going on between you and my brother."

"He hasn't said anything to you?"

It was Sean's turn to laugh. "Unsurprisingly, no. We don't really talk about that sort of thing, but I've most definitely noticed that his eyes tracked every movement of yours, usually landing on your ass. And I've noticed how much happier he is, especially with you next to him."

JJ looked at him through her eyelashes. "I'm happier around him, too."

"Jack and Henry are asking for you," Anna told JJ, entering the kitchen. "Henry is insisting on sleeping in Jack's room. I'm heading out." She pointed at Sean. "You coming?"

"Heck yeah," Sean replied as JJ quickly left the kitchen.

Anna smiled, seductively. "Give me ten minutes."

"Did you have a good birthday party?" JJ asked Jack as she knelt beside his bed.

Jack nodded, smiling as Henry played with his ear, a habit Henry had recently picked up. "It was great. Uncle Spencer is an awesome lead."

"He had lots of fun, too."

"JJ, can I ask you a question?"

She cocked her head to the side. "You can ask me anything, sweetheart."

"How long do you think it takes for a birthday wish to come true?"

"I don't know. I suppose it depends on the wish."

Jack sighed. "Okay. Good night, JJ. I love you."

"I love you, too. I love you, Henry."

"Love you, Mama," he replied, his eyes already drifting closed.

JJ ran into Hotch outside the bedroom. "We have some great kids, you know."

"I like to think they have some great parents." Hotch pulled her roughly against him, curling his hand around her left butt cheek. He leaned down and nipped her ear. "Ready to see just how great we can be?"

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JJ stumbled down the stairs towards the kitchen early the next morning. The only thought on her mind was coffee. Not expecting anyone to be up, she jumped when she heard Anna's bedroom door open and Sean walked out, throwing a t-shirt on.

"Morning," JJ said in a hushed voice. She chuckled when Sean gasped, clearly surprised that she was there. "Looks like you had a good night."

"We didn't sleep together," Sean protested. "I mean, we slept together, but all we did was sleep." His eyes darted all around. "Can I talk to you?"

JJ nodded. "I was just about to make some coffee."

"Thanks," Sean said when JJ handed him a cup. He waited for her to sit down. "I'm worried about Anna."

"That seems to be a theme lately."

Sean permitted a ghost of a smile to cross his face. "I've known her for a long time. I've seen her wild side more than my brother has. I know Aaron likes to think of her as his sweet baby sister, but she's got a partier side to her, too."

"I've seen some of that."

"Usually, though, she's careful about who she's around. Last night, she danced with anyone and everyone. She lost herself in the crowd countless times with almost a blank expression. And when I danced with her... I know she was injured, but... she's lost a lot of weight. She hid it pretty well at the party and even with the shirt she wore last night, but when I held her close, I could tell."

JJ chewed on her bottom lip. "I noticed that she hasn't been eating. I didn't think it had gotten that bad."

Sean dipped his head. "She doesn't sleep either. We didn't get in until nearly three. I fell asleep almost right away. When I rolled over around five, she was still at her computer. I had to coax her into bed. She's already up again."

"She told me that her sleep was getting better now that she was completely off her medication."

He rubbed his eyes. "Anna's always been good at hiding things. I just think that maybe she's over her head this time."

JJ felt her heart drop to her stomach. Since her talk with Morgan last week, she had pushed all negative thoughts about Anna's recovery out of her head to focus on Jack's party. "Why aren't you talking to Hotch about this?"

"Because the last couple of times I've talked to him, he's only told me how wonderful Anna's doing. He's head is in the sand. He's only seeing what he wants to see. Usually my big brother is great with reading people, but when a situation is too close to him, he can deny with the best of them. I'm hoping he'll listen to you."

JJ nodded. "I'll try."

"Thanks," Sean said, quickly as they heard the door to Anna's room close.

"Morning," Anna greeted as she walked into the kitchen. She went straight to the fridge to begin breakfast. JJ took the time to study her as she worked. Anna was wearing a few layers of clothing and the bags under her eyes were more prominent than they had been. Her skin was still pale and she moved with an overall weariness that JJ didn't recognize before in her. JJ took a deep breath.

It was time to talk to Hotch.


	20. Of Conversations and Blackmail

JJ stood outside of Jack's room listening to him and Hotch talk as Hotch put him to bed. Her heart was heavy even as a smile ghosted her lips. She was not looking forward to the conversation she knew she needed to have, but she couldn't let it go any further. Sean had left that afternoon and Anna had gone out almost immediately afterward. As much as she wanted to put off the talk about Anna, it would only make it that much harder.

"Daddy?" Jack asked, drawing JJ out of thoughts about Anna. "How long does it take for birthday wishes to come true?"

"I'm not sure. I suppose it depends on the wish," Hotch replied. In the hallway, JJ smiled as he repeated her answer almost verbatim.

Jack sighed. "Okay."

"If you told me your wish, I might be able to help it come true," Hotch prodded.

"I can't," Jack told him matter-of-factly. "It won't come true." He paused. "I can tell Anna tomorrow."

"You can tell Anna, but you can't tell Dad?"

Jack nodded. "Anna has magical wishing powers. She told me."

"I bet she does." Hotch kissed Jack's forehead and tucked the blanket around him. "Good night, buddy." Hotch left the room and nearly ran directly into JJ. He kissed her forehead, noticing she looked tense. "Hey. Everything okay?"

JJ shook her head. "We need to talk... downstairs, in the living, away from the boys."

Hotch gripped her hands, tightly, feeling as if the floor was falling away beneath him. He didn't know what he would do if he lost her. "JJ, you're scaring me."

"Oh!" JJ gasped, suddenly realizing what he must be thinking. She hugged him fiercely. "We're fine. It's not about us." Her heart sunk into her stomach as she felt him trembling, shocked by the depth of his feelings for her. "It's about Anna."

"Anna?" Hotch repeated, pulling away enough to see her eyes. "What about Anna?"

She grabbed his hand, interlinking their fingers. "Let's go talk in the living room." She kept her hand in his as she led him downstairs and onto the couch. "I need you to listen to me, even though you don't want to. I love you. I love Anna. And I'm scared for her."

"What do you mean?" he asked, his eyes wide.

"She's not eating. She's not sleeping. She's not okay, Hotch."

"She's still healing," he protested.

JJ took a deep breath. "She's not... healing. She's pulling away, pulling into herself. She hasn't talked to Reid since right our first date. She hasn't been meeting him at the club like we thought. She hasn't done anything with him except ask him to back off."

"Okay, so she was feeling overwhelmed by Reid's concern. She's been meeting with Dave at least once a week."

She shook her head, hearing the distress creeping into his tone. "She meets with him, but refuses to talk about anything serious. He makes her go, thinking he can pull her out of this funk if he just waits it out. I don't think he can."

Hotch pulled his hand away from hers, covering his face. He listened numbly as she told him about Morgan's encounter with Anna in the club and about Sean's concerns. He was still by the end of the conversation. His heartache slowly turned to angry as the two of them sat on the couch for hours, side by side, never speaking, waiting for Anna. Somewhere, deep inside, he knew everything JJ had said was true, but he pushed it aside. He wanted so badly to believe that Anna was getting better, that he was enough to help her get better. His beliefs were crumbling around him and he began to internally lash out at himself and Anna.

Hotch breathed in sharply when he heard a car pull up and two doors slam shut. He stood abruptly from the couch, strolling into the front hallway. He began to pace back and forth, waiting for her to enter. JJ hovered in the doorway, cautiously watching him. When Anna didn't appear after several minutes, he stormed to the front door, flinging it open. Anna and a man were standing on the porch, laughing. They sprung apart as Hotch marched onto the porch.

"What the hell?" Anna demanded.

"I think it's time for your friend to leave," Hotch ordered, coolly.

Anna looked from JJ to her friend, Weber before back to Hotch. "We were just talking."

"Well, you can talk another day. Get in the house."

"Who-" Anna started but was cut off by Weber muttering, "I'll talk to you tomorrow, Anna."

She waited until he was in his car before stomping into the house. She rounded on Hotch as soon as he closed the door. "You have no right, no Goddamn right, to treat my friends like that!"

Hotch's face grew red with anger. "I have every right! This is our house and our children are sleeping right upstairs! And you're bringing guys over at all hours of the night!"

JJ flinched as she watched anger roll through Anna's entire body turning her deep blue eyes hard. Anna squared off against Hotch.

"He was dropping me off." Anna's words were low and harsh. "If you think I would prance any guys in front of those boys, you don't know me at all."

"That's just it," Hotch countered, just below irate. "I don't know you anymore. You're not acting yourself. You're not eating." Anna huffed. "You're not sleeping." Again, Anna huffed. "You're not talking to anybody. You hide behind the boys."

Anna folded her arms. "I'm fine! I just want to be left alone!"

"You are not fine!" Hotch roared back. "You are going out every night! You're completely losing yourself in crowds of strangers! Hell, you propositioned Morgan in a damn parking lot!"

"Why do you even care?" Anna shouted, throwing her hands in the air.

"Because you're my sister!" Hotch yelled.

Anna checked suddenly. "I'm not your sister, Hotch. I'm a Kingston. And I'm not your concern." She turned and fled the room.

"What does that-" Hotch turned to JJ, lost. "What does that even mean?"

JJ could only shrug and shake her head, pulling him into her arms. She knew it was nowhere near the way he wanted the conversation to go and that he would spend weeks beating himself up over it. She held him until his weight began to overwhelm her. She prodded him up the stairs and into bed, pulling him into her arms once again.

Anna and Henry were gone by the time Hotch, JJ, and Jack arrived in the kitchen the next morning. Anna left a note saying they were running "errands" and breakfast warming in the oven. Hotch was in a near daze, lost in his own thoughts. He barely spoke a word through breakfast, when they dropped Jack off, or on their way to work. He closed the door to his office, spending his entire day there, much to the bewilderment of his team.

"JJ, can I talk to you?" Rossi asked, entering her office after lunch.

She looked up from her desk with a grimace. "I was wondering who was going to draw the short straw." JJ gestured for him to sit down. She didn't wait for him to ask before saying, "Hotch and Anna had a fight last night. A bad one. She and Henry were gone before we got up this morning."

"What was the fight about?" Worry lines appeared across Rossi's forehead.

"Anna not taking care of herself, about her going out all the time, not eating, not sleeping." She went on to explain the same things she told Hotch last night. Rossi's face was nearly as desolate as Hotch's had been the previous night.

Rossi cleared his throat when JJ stopped talking. "I didn't realize that things were so bad."

"None of us did."

"So, what do we do next?"

JJ frowned. "I don't know. I honestly don't know. The only thing we can do is encourage her to get help."

Rossi grew quiet. "Is it okay if I sit in here for awhile?"

"Of course." JJ went back to her work, allowing Rossi time to gather himself before he left her office. JJ covered her face with her hands when he finally left. Guilt ate away at her even as she reassured herself that she had to tell Hotch what was going on with Anna. She just wished she knew away to make this better for everyone.

JJ was so consumed by her thoughts by the end of the day that she became as withdrawn as Hotch. The car ride would be painful if either one of them had been paying enough attention to notice. Even the boys seemed to sense something was off as their normal run to the front door when their parents got home, though filled with smiles, was subdued. Anna remained in the kitchen preparing dinner while JJ and Hotch sat in the living room. The boys were playing in Jack's room.

"Can we talk?" Anna asked Hotch, walking into the living room. Her voice was soft, though her eyes were determined.

"Should I go?" JJ asked, taking in the seriousness of Anna's face.

Anna shook her head. "This concerns you, too."

"What is it, Anna?" Hotch questioned, tensely.

"I think you're right. It's your house. I should abide by your rules as long as I'm living here. I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable and for the fight last night."

Hotch shook. "Anna, it's not just-"

"I'm moving out," she cut him off.

"What?" JJ and Hotch exclaimed at the same time.

Anna took a deep breath. "I already rented out a suite at the Diamondmont. I'll still be available to stay whenever you guys get called out of town and I'll be here from the time the boys get up until you get home everyday."

"I'm sorry-" Hotch started.

Anna interrupted him again. "It's done. It's time for me to stand on my own. I'm an adult. It's time for me to start acting like an adult. And Jack doesn't need me like he did. I'm not the one he looks for in the morning." Anna took a step back when JJ started to rise. "I'm going to tell Jack and Henry and then I'm going to head out. Dinner's on the stove. I'll see you in the morning."

Anna turned and left room. She walked up the stairs to Jack's room, standing in the doorway for a few moments watching the boys play. They were attempting to build something with blocks, but Henry kept getting bored and knocking them over with a car. Jack, ever patient, simply began to build once again.

After watching Henry knock the blocks a third time, Anna stepped inside, causing both boys to look up at her. She smiled wistfully at them. "Hey, guys."

"Is it dinnertime?" Jack asked, stacking a red block on a blue one.

"Almost," Anna told him. She sat down on the bed. "Can I talk to you guys for a minute?"

"Okay!" Henry said, eagerly, hopping on her lap.

Jack climbed next to her, his face serious. "What's wrong?"

Anna pulled him into her. "Nothing's wrong. It's just... there's going to be some changes around here."

"What kind of changes?"

"I'm moving out. I'm going to stay at a hotel for awhile."

Jack's chin quivered. "But why?"

Anna kissed the top of his head. "I know this is going to be hard to understand, but adults sometimes need to live by themselves."

"Like Uncle Spencer?"

"Exactly," Anna agreed. "It's time for me to live by myself for awhile. But I'm going to be here everyday that your parents have to work and I will stay until they come home."

Jack wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "And when they have to go away and catch the bad guys?"

"Then, I'll stay here with you. You'll see, it won't be so bad. You get your dad and JJ all to yourselves now when they're home and the hotel I'm staying at has an indoor pool, which means we can go swimming anytime you want. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

"Yay, pool!" Henry shouted. He bounced on Anna's lap. "I tell Mama?"

Anna nodded, letting him down. She grinned when he skipped out of the room calling for JJ. Anna brought Jack onto her lap, wrapping her arms around him. "I know it seems sad, but everything will be okay. I will see you almost every day and anytime that I'm not here and you need me, you call me. Okay?"

"Okay," Jack concurred. He settled into her chest.

"Something else on your mind?" Anna asked him after a few minutes.

Jack sighed. "How long does it take for birthday wishes to come true?"

"I don't know." Anna paused. "Do you want to tell me your wish and we can try to figure it out?"

"I wished... I wished for JJ to be my new mom. Henry calls my dad 'Daddy.' I want to call JJ 'Mom.' My teacher thinks she's my mom. My friends at school think she's my mom."

Anna smiled, tightening her arms. "I think that's a wish that needs a little help. I think you need to talk to your dad about that one."

"Okay. Anna?" he whispered after a few moments. "Do you think my mommy would be mad that I want JJ to be my new mommy?"

"No," Anna assured him, quickly. "I think your mommy would be so glad that somebody loves you that much and that you love somebody that much. I think your mommy is happy that JJ loves you just like your mommy did."

"Really?"

She nodded. "The one thing mommies want most in this world is for their children to be happy so if JJ makes you happy, that's exactly what your mommy wants."

"Thanks, Anna."

"Now, your dinner is getting cold and I have to go get settled at the hotel so give me a big hug and I will see you in the morning."

Jack turned and squeezed her tight. "I love you, Anna."

"I love you, too."

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"Hey," JJ said, walking into Hotch's room. He was sitting against the headboard in his pajamas, flipping mindless through channels on the television.

"Hey," he mumbled back.

She walked over to his side of the bed, placing her hand on his foot. "You ready to talk about it?"

"Talk about what?"

"About why you're still so moody?" She trailed her fingers lightly up his leg to rest on his knee. "The boys are doing great in the week since Anna moved out. They've adjust really well. They love going to the pool at the hotel."

Hotch nodded in agreement. The boys had spent half of their afternoons the last week at the pool.

"And I think even Anna's looking better, more rested. Maybe this was exactly what everyone needed." She wasn't as confidant about this as she seemed, but she wanted to shake him out of this mood.

"Maybe," Hotch conceded. He shook his head when she cocked an eyebrow at him, waiting for him to elaborate. "I just feel like we should have been enough to help her. She shouldn't have had to leave."

JJ squeezed his knee. "Or maybe she's an adult and what she needed was for us to let her be an adult.

Hotch shrugged, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. He eyed her fluffy, yellow robe. "You want to watch a movie?"

"Actually, I came in here to borrow a shirt to wear to bed."

"Oh really?"

"Mm-hm." She walked over to his dresser. "You don't mind, do you?"

Hotch shook his head. "You're always welcome to borrow anything of mine."

JJ nodded. She slowly slid the robe down her body to reveal that she was wearing nothing but lacy boy shorts. She grinned deliciously when she heard the channels stop changing. Careful not to look over her shoulder, she bent down to the bottom drawer where his pajamas were kept, angling so that he had just a glimpse of her naked breast. JJ stretched when she rose up with a gray t-shirt in her hand. She languidly put it on, hearing Hotch moan slightly when she was covered.

"Thanks," JJ told him cheerfully, as if she hadn't been teasing him. "I guess I'll see you in the morning."

Hotch shifted slightly in the bed. "Ah, hold on a second. I think there's something on that shirt."

"Really? I don't see anything."

"Come here. Let me take a look." He grabbed her waist and pulled her into the bed, rolling her so that she was on her back while he hovered above her. "Don't you know it's dangerous to taunt an FBI agent?"

JJ ran her hands over his chest. "Is that what I was doing?"

"You are a devious woman, Jennifer Jareau."

She arched her back, pushing into him. "What are you going to do about it?"

Hotch leaned in close, his lips hovering just about hers. "I'm going to tease you right back."

For the next forty-five minutes, Hotch kept her body in ecstasy, ramping her up, but never letting her go over the edge. She was cursing him and his parentage, squirming for any angle that would give her release. Her breath was heavy and her muscles trembling. A thin sheen covered her entire body. She could feel him wildly aroused against her thigh. Using all her strength, she flipped him over and straddled him. JJ glared at him before lowering herself onto him. It took only a few minutes more for them to climax together.

JJ laid her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat as he came down. She propped her head on her hands when he had calmed. "You are pure evil."

Hotch chuckled. "You knew what you were getting into when you came in here wearing nothing but a robe and panties."

"Speaking of which, did you really rip those?"

"I'll buy you a new pair," he said after a beat.

JJ reached up and brushed the hair from his forehead. She left her fingers on his cheek. "It was worth it to see you smile like this."

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I haven't been a very good boyfriend lately."

"You've been distracted, but that's okay. There's a lot going on. But I don't want you to hide inside yourself. I want you to talk to me." JJ slid to the side, throwing her leg over his waist.

Hotch wrapped his arms around her. "Do you really think Anna's doing better?"

JJ took a deep breath. "I hope she is, but it might be wishful thinking on my part. I know things don't seem as tense with her this past week."

"Hm," Hotch muttered. He kissed the top of her head. "I want to tell the boys about us."

"You do?" she asked, surprised.

He kissed her head again. "I do. I don't want to hide this anymore. I want to be able to show everyone just how much I love you. I want to fall asleep with my arms wrapped around you and wake up the same. I want to kiss you hello when you walk through the door, no matter where the boys are. I want to spend lazy Sunday mornings in bed, all four of us."

"That sounds wonderful. What do you say we tell them this weekend?"

He grinned. "Perfect."

JJ lifted her head up. "For now, what do you say we go take a shower?"

"You are a brilliant woman," Hotch said, leaning down to kiss her.

"I know." She untangled herself from him. She groaned when there was a ringing from her pocket. She sat on the edge of the bed as she took a call from the director. JJ was frowning miserably by the time she hung up.

Hotch sat next her, kissing behind her ear. "Where to?"

"Tulsa. The plane leaves in two hours." She stood, amused by his pout. "I have to go call the team and Anna and we have to get to the office to grab the files."

"So, no time for a shower?"

JJ laughed as she put on her robe. She kissed him, lingering. "No, but I promise we can take one as soon as we get to the hotel."

"You are diabolical, Agent Jareau. Propositioning your boss on a case? What will you do next?" His eyes were dancing with amusement.

"Guess you'll just have to stick around to find out."

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"Anna, are you okay?" Jack asked as she entered his bedroom with a basket of clean laundry. Henry followed close behind her, carrying a shirt. He had wanted to help her do the laundry. Hotch, JJ, and the rest of the team were on their fifth day of the case, the longest Hotch had been away since before Anna was taking. It made Jack more overprotective and Henry more clingy than normal.

"I'm fine," Anna replied, putting the laundry in drawers.

Jack put down the action figures he had been playing with and watched her closely. "Why are you all sweaty? Did you go for a run like Daddy does?"

Anna chuckled, wiping her forehead. "No, I just," she blinked a few times as the room began to spin slightly, "think I'm coming down with something. It's nothing to worry about."

"Okay."

"Anna?" Henry asked, pulling on her shirt. "Pizza, please?"

Anna nodded as a wave of nausea rolled her stomach. She really hoped she wasn't coming down with something she would give to the boys. "Let's go downstairs and order some pizza. Do you want breadsticks, too?"

"Yay!" they both shouted running out of Jack's bedroom. Anna walked slowly behind them, the nausea and dizziness growing.

"Can we get chicken wings, too?" Jack asked. He was helping Henry down the stairs.

"Sure," Anna replied. Her eyes became unfocused and her head began to swirl. Anna fell gently to the steps, her breaths growing shallow. Anna covered her eyes with her hand. She called out softly. "Jack? Jack?"

"Yeah?" Jack turned around at the bottom of the stairs.

"I need you to get me the phone and then I need you to take Henry into the living room and watch TV."

He frowned, asking for the second time, "Are you okay?"

"Just a little dizzy. Nothing to worry about. Please, get me the phone." Jack returned with the phone just a few moments later. "Thank you. Now, take your brother into the living room and pick out a movie."

He raised an eyebrow in perfect imitation of JJ. "My brother?"

"Henry. Take Henry." Anna waited until she heard the television before placing her call.

"Talk to me."

Anna struggled to keep her eyes open. "Penelope, it's Anna. Something's wrong. I need you to come get the boys. I can't- The room- I'm having a hard-"

Garcia stood from her chair, alarmed. "Anna?"

"-time-"

"Anna? ANNA?" Garcia was panicking now. "I'll be right there! Hold on! Hold on!"

Anna let the phone drop. It rolled down the stairs, the back falling off when it hit the floor. Vaguely, Anna could hear the first few notes of "Bob the Builder" coming from the living room. She smiled as she thought about what a great big brother he was.

She squeezed her eyes closed tight and stood, one hand on the railing. Anna took one step forward and her entire world blacked out. She tumbled down the remaining stairs, ending in a crumbled heap on the bottom on top of her left arm. The noise caused both Jack and Henry to come running.

"Anna!" Jack cried out, shaking her body. "Anna, wake-up! Please wake-up! Anna!"

"Anna?" Henry said, gently patting her face while Jack ran to grab the kitchen phone.

She struggled to consciousness, hearing the confusion in Henry's tiny voice. "Ssh," she slurred. "It's okay." Pain rushed in her body, especially in her head and wrist. She could hear Jack crying on the phone. She absurdly thought about strawberry ice cream cones and wondered where Henry's teddy bear had gone.

Anna tried to lift her head only to black out again. She came around again when someone called her name repeatedly. It was a voice she didn't recognize. She stayed awake only long enough to call for Jack. She awoke briefly a third time to hear Garcia arrive, gathering Jack and Henry in her arms.

"We'll be right behind you, Anna!" Garcia shouted. She grabbed Anna's car keys because she knew there were car seats in the car for the boys and the bag that JJ kept in the front closet filled with entertainment for the boys when they had to go some place boring. She waited until the boys and her were in the car before calling JJ.

"Garcia, where have been?" JJ asked, exasperated, when she answered the phone. "We've been trying to get a hold of you to let you know that we're-"

"Peaches!" Garcia interrupted loudly. "You need to get home right now!"

JJ gasped, causing Hotch to rush to her side and the others to look at her funny. "What's wrong?"

"It's Anna."

"Anna?" JJ repeated, clutching Hotch's arm. "The boys!"

Garcia glanced at the two boys in the backseat. They were watching her wordlessly. "The boys are fine. They're with me." She took a deep breath. "Anna called me and said something was wrong. Her voice was fading in and out. So, I rushed to your house. By the time I got their, there were paramedics."

"Paramedics?"

Garcia nodded, even though JJ couldn't see her. "Apparently, Anna passed out on the stairs, falling down them. Jack called 911. They rushed her to Mercy. We're on our way their now. You have to get home."

JJ glanced to Hotch, who was watching her closely. "Anna passed out and fell. She's on her way to the hospital. We have to get home."

"They're ready for us now," Rossi told them, hanging up his own phone. He had called the airport as soon as JJ mentioned "Anna."

"Penelope, we're on our way," JJ told her.

Garcia sighed, partially in relief. "Jack wants to talk to you."

"Mommy?" Jack asked, his voice small.

"Jack! Are you okay?" JJ slipped her hand in Hotch's, allowing him to pull her towards the car.

Jack sniffled. "Anna wouldn't wake up. She was all sweaty like after Daddy runs."

"Jack, you listen to me: it's going to be okay. We'll be there as soon as we can." She desperately wanted to tell him that Anna was going to be fine, but she couldn't give him that false hope when she didn't know what was going on, not after everything he had been through in his life.

"Mommy, what if she doesn't wake up?"

JJ breathed in sharply. "We just have to keep thinking good thoughts. Can you do that?"

"Uh-huh," he answered, though he was still close to tears.

"Daddy and I are going to be there as soon as we can, I promise. Uncle Dave even got the plane to be here faster so we can get there."

"Really?"

JJ squeezed Hotch's hand. "Really. Now, when you get to the hospital, Aunt Penelope is going to take you guys to a waiting room. I want you to draw Anna some 'Get Well' pictures. Can you do that?"

"Yeah. I'll help Henry, too, because he doesn't always stay on the paper." Jack's voice was sounding stronger towards the end.

"No, he doesn't. Okay, buddy, we're getting on the plane now so I have to hang up. We'll see you in a couple of hours."

Jack sighed. "Okay. I love you, Mommy."

"I love you, too, baby." JJ followed Hotch up the stairs to the plane. She sat down next to him, her hand stilled gripped in his, staring out of the window. As the plane took off, she leaned her head on his shoulder. "He called me 'Mommy.'"

The plane ride and car ride to the hospital were quiet after JJ explained the little bit of information she had. Hotch held her hand the entire time, stroking his thumb over her fingers in a nervous tic. Only Hotch, JJ, and Rossi headed to the hospital after they landed; the rest went into the office to complete paperwork and wait for news.

"Garcia!" JJ called out as they rushed into the waiting room. Garcia was sitting on a couch, a sleeping Henry next to her. Jack was sitting on the floor, coloring on a small coffee table. He jumped up when he heard JJ's voice, racing into her arms with giant sobs. JJ rubbed circles on his back, whispering in his ear to calm him down.

"Any news?" Rossi asked Garcia, sparing a glance at Jack. Garcia shook her head. She opened her mouth to speak, but snapped it closed when a man in a long, white coat appeared.

"Anna McCrea?"

Hotch stood in front of them all. "I'm her boss and emergency contact."

The doctor peered at the papers in his hand. "Aaron Hotchner?" Hotch nodded. "Anna's suffering from exhaustion, moderate dehydration, and mild malnutrition. She broke her left wrist when she fell and has some bumps and bruises, but none are serious. We want to keep her overnight for observation, but we'll release her tomorrow after she talks with a psychologist on staff. She's going to need a lot of rest and her food and liquid intake is going to have to be monitored."

"We'll keep an eye on her," Hotch assured him.

"I understand that Anna recently went through some extreme trauma." The doctor frowned when Hotch nodded. "Of the record? I'd recommend a lot of therapy and someone willing to keep a close eye on her. She's clearly unwilling at this time to take care of herself. You can go ahead and see her now."

Jack clutched onto JJ's neck even tighter when she tried to put him down on Garcia's lap. "Jack, I promise that I'll be right back. I just want to see Anna." Jack shook his head in response. "Don't you want me to give your pictures to Anna?"

"Okay," Jack finally agreed. He sat on Garcia's lap, leaning his head against Garcia's shoulder. He waved good-bye as Hotch, JJ, and Rossi headed down the hallway to Anna's room. They entered the room quietly in case she was sleeping only to find Anna sitting up staring out the window.

"How are you feeling?" JJ asked her.

Anna shrugged. "Tired."

"What were you thinking?" Hotch demanded. He nearly trembled with anger. "You could have seriously hurt yourself. You could have hurt the boys!"

"I never did anything to hurt those boys!" Anna countered.

Hotch took a step closer. "You could have been driving and then what?" Anna rolled her eyes. "It stops now."

Anna's eyes flew to his, hardened. "What stops now?"

"Hotch," JJ muttered, placing a hand on his back. Rossi moved so he was in between them, but not in their line of sight.

Hotch ignored JJ, focusing only on Anna. "This. This not taking care of yourself. You're moving back home. We're going to monitor what you eat, what you drink. We're going to make sure that you take your pain pills and your vitamins and anything else they give you. No more going out! No more-"

"You're are not my father!" Anna yelled back, cutting him off. "I am not one of your profilers. You don't get to control me! You don't want me watching your kids? Fine! I don't need you. I want you out! Out!"

"Enough! Both of you!" Rossi roared, shutting them both up. He pointed to Hotch. "You, outside. Now."

JJ tugged on his wrist. "Come on." She turned when she reached the wall in the hallway, leaned against it. "Hug me."

Hotch put his arms around her, squeezing as tight as he could while still allowing her to breath. He lay his cheek on the top of her head. "I'm sorry. I was out of control in there."

"You're upset. She's upset."

"She keeps pushing me away and I don't know why."

JJ lifted her head up to look at him. She placed a hand lovingly on his cheek. "She's pushing you away because somewhere in her subconscious she knows that you'll always come back. She's in a lot of pain and she's looking to lash out any way that she can. You can't take it personally. Not right now."

"I love you," he whispered. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You have me."

They were stopped from any further conversation by the sound of Rossi clearing his throat behind. Hotch pivoted, keeping JJ in his arms. They looked at him expectantly.

"Anna's agreed to come stay with me for awhile." He raised a hand when Hotch opened his mouth. "Aaron, we both know it's for the best. The two of you are a powder keg right now. I can keep an eye on her without two little boys running around and I can get a nurse to stay with her when we're on a case."

"How did you get her to agree?" JJ asked. She was sure it was going to be hours of arguments to get Anna to concede to anything.

Rossi frowned. "I blackmailed her. I told her that you wouldn't let her see the boys unless you got some help."

Hotch nodded to Rossi before looking down at JJ. "Let's go home."


	21. Of Bad Dreams and Worse Decisions

"What you do you say we make some tea and talk once we get these guys to bed?" JJ asked, Hotch as they finally made it through the front door. It was clear that someone had come by and straightened up the house while they were gone. JJ made a mental not to find and thank that person.

Hotch sighed. "Sure."

He shifted a sleeping Jack in his arms. Jack had fallen asleep before they pulled out of the parking lot. Henry never stirred as they transferred him from the chair to Hotch's arms to the car and now to JJ. JJ lead them upstairs. She tucked Henry into bed with a kiss to the forehead while Hotch waited for her in the doorway. They moved to Jack's room, taking off his jacket and shoes before putting him under the covers. Hotch kissed him good night before moving to allow JJ to do the same.

"Mommy!" Jack shrieked as JJ pulled away from him. He flung his arms around her neck, clawing wildly at her back as he tried to climb onto her, half-asleep. "No! No-no!"

"Jack!" JJ said, firmly, trying to break through his dream. She fully pulled him into her arms and sat on the bed. JJ rocked him back and forth, gently, rubbing his back while he cried. She looked up at Hotch for help, but he just looked lost. "Jack, it's okay. I'm right here." She waited until his sobs had calmed before continuing, "Can you tell me what scared you?"

Jack laid his head on JJ's shoulder and nodded. "I had a bad dream and I couldn't find you. I saw Anna on the floor. I think she was dead."

"Oh, Jack," JJ whispered, her heart breaking. "Anna's fine. She just has to spend the night in the hospital to get some rest. And guess what? She's going to stay with Uncle Dave for a little while."

"Why?" Jack asked, softly.

JJ pulled him in closer. "Because she's not feeling very well right now and she needs somebody take care of her right now."

"Uncle Dave can take care of her?"

"Yep."

Jack pulled his head away to look at JJ. "If Uncle Dave's taking care of Anna, who's going to take care of me and Henry when you and Daddy go away?"

JJ kissed his forehead. "We'll figure something out."

"Can I sleep with you," Jack turned in JJ's lap to look at Hotch, "and Daddy?"

"Of course," Hotch answered, finally speaking.

JJ squinted at him, surprised by his answer. Hotch shrugged, but offered no other answer. "Um, why don't you let Daddy help you get some pjs on and meet me in his room? I want to check on Henry and get changed."

"Okay." Jack hopped down from JJ and ran to his dresser to grab his pajamas. He waited until JJ left the room before speaking to his dad. "Daddy, can we have a ser'us convo'ation?"

"A serious conversation?" Hotch corrected, helping Jack out of his shirt. Jack nodded. "What do you want to talk about?"

Jack scrunched his face. "I wanna talk about my birthday wish. Anna said I needed to talk to you. She said my wish needed help."

"What's your wish, Jack?" Hotch peered at him, trying to think what he possibly could have wished for that would require such a conversation.

Jack took a deep breath. "I want to call JJ 'Mom.'" He took another breath. "Henry gets to call you 'Daddy' and JJ's just like my mom and Anna doesn't think Mommy would be mad because JJ loves me just like Mommy did."

"Henry calls me 'Daddy' because you call me 'Daddy' and Henry wants to do everything that you do," Hotch explained. He frowned when Jack continued to stare at him. "This is kind of a big decision, Jack. I mean, it would be one thing if JJ and I were married..."

"Marry JJ!" Jack said, excitedly.

Hotch sighed, not realizing he had said that last part aloud. "Jack, why don't you take a few days to think about this?"

Jack pouted. "I have been thinking about it. I been thinking about it for a long time."

"Jack!" Hotch said, sharply. He instantly regretted his tone when he saw the hurt in Jack's eyes. "Let's just save this conversation for another day, okay? A lot's happened today and it's time for bed."

Jack nodded, staring at his feet.

"Hey," JJ called out, softly, "what's going on in here? You guys are taking forever."

"Can you finish getting him ready for bed?" Hotch asked, brushing past her.

JJ nodded, watching him curiously as he left the room. She grabbed Jack's pajamas from the dresser and helped him get into them. Jack was subdued the entire time, leaving JJ dark over what had occurred while she was gone.

"JJ?" Jack whispered as he snuggled in close to her in Hotch's bed. Hotch had yet to return. "Are you going to stay here forever?"

"I..." JJ's voice trailed off. "You know I love you, right?" Jack nodded against her chest. "There is nothing that could ever happen to make me stop." She paused. "Anna's not gone forever, you know. She's just gone for a little while."

Jack's only response was a light snore. JJ tried to wait up for Hotch, but soon found the siren song of sleep too strong to resist.

She awoken the next morning with Jack curled into her side and Henry staring at her beside the bed. She glanced over at the bed, but saw it was empty. She wasn't sure that Hotch had even made it to bed last night.

"Hey, little man," JJ said, turning her attention back to Henry. "What are you doing?"

Henry shrugged. "Hungry."

"Okay. Let Mama use the bathroom and I'll come make you some breakfast." When JJ returned, she found both Jack and Henry awake and looking at her. "Anyone know where your dad is?"

"Working," Henry replied.

JJ frowned. "In the basement?"

"Yep."

"JJ, can we have waffles?" Jack asked her. She nodded before leading them downstairs. She got them feed, dressed, and settled in the living room before getting herself dressed, giving Hotch some time to himself. It wasn't until after lunch was done that she finally ventured downstairs.

"Dave just called," JJ announced, walking into his office in the basement. Hotch was pouring over a stack of files. "He and Anna made it home. She hasn't said much, but he's gotten her eat a little."

"Hm," was all Hotch replied, not looking up.

JJ sighed. "Okay, that's enough."

She walked around to his side of the desk, taking the pen from his hand and closing the folder he was reviewing. She squeezed between him and the desk, sitting on top of it. Hotch sat up a little straighter, placing his hands on her denim-covered thighs. He looked at her expectantly.

"Well, clearly, you're not going to make this easy," JJ commented with a sarcastic bite. "Let's talk about Anna."

Hotch's fingers clenched her thighs. "What's there to talk about? I thought we were... close. I thought we were family. Family's suppose to help family. She doesn't want my help."

JJ ran her hands through his hair. "She's hurt right now. She's lost."

"Exactly!" he emphasized. "She used to come to me when she was in pain. Now, I have to turn her care over to Dave? I failed her. She's trusted me since she was eighteen years old and I let her down."

"You didn't let her down. You didn't fail her. Hey," she said, grabbing his face when he moved to look away. "Did you ever stop to think that the reason she pushes you away is that she knows that you'll always be there?"

Hotch released a long breath. "Maybe."

JJ frowned knowing from his tone that he didn't believe her at all. She also knew she wouldn't be able to push him any further on it now. She switched tactics. "So, you want to tell me what you and Jack were talking about last night that got you so upset?"

"It was nothing. It was a long day and I was tired. I didn't react the right way." He laid his cheek on her lap, surprising her by seeking comfort. JJ gently stroke his hair. "We have to figure out something to do with the boys."

"I can stay behind for awhile. As long as it's not a highly public case, you guys can make do without me."

Hotch moved his hands around her waist. "And if it ends up being a highly public case?"

"Maybe Garcia can help us out... or maybe I'll take some time off." She paused. "I'm going to take this week so we can figure out something with the boys and give them time to settle."

"Daddy? JJ?" Jack called from the top of the stairs. "The movie's over. Can we put on Cars 2? And make popcorn?"

JJ looked down at Hotch, who simply looked back her, not responding not Jack. "I'm coming!" JJ shouted back. She kissed Hotch's forehead before hurrying upstairs.

Rossi sat in his living room with just the table light on. He held a book in his hands, but he wasn't really reading it. He was waiting and listening. He suspected that Anna agreed to her sleeping pill and bedtime just a bit too easily. Rossi grinned to himself when he heard soft footsteps walking down the hall.

"Hello, Anna," Rossi called out when she passed.

Anna gasped at the sound of his voice. She shuffled into the living room, knowing she was busted. She stood in front of him, her shoulders hunched as she stared at her feet. "I couldn't sleep."

Rossi suppressed a sigh. "I thought you took a sleeping pill."

"I don't like them. They make me feel funny."

"Sit down," Rossi ordered, gently. He waited until she was on the other end of the couch before continuing to speak. "Are you ready to tell me what happened when you were kidnapped?"

Anna's eyes snapped to his. "What do you mean? Everything's in the report."

Rossi shook his head. "I know you. If everything that happened was in that report, you wouldn't be acting the way you've been acting. You wouldn't have landed in the hospital. What happened, Anna? Please tell me."

Tears welled up in Anna's eyes, but she didn't allow them to fall. "He... he was hired to kidnap us."

"Hired? By who?"

"My father," she whispered in a voice barely audible. She closed her eyes, wiping away the stray tear that fell. She heard Rossi inhale suddenly over her confession, but he otherwise remained silent. She was grateful for that. "We couldn't afford college... so I was looking into going to the community college for a few years and then transferring. My mother didn't like the idea. She had her heart set on me going to a four year college, you know? Something she had never been able to do. She went to my father and begged him for the money to send me to school."

Rossi cleared his throat. "I'm guessing he said no?"

Anna nodded. "When he told her no, she threatened to tell the press about how he had treated us the last ten years. He told her he would give her an answer in two weeks. He went out and hired... him... the next day to kidnap us and scare us."

"And then your grandmother got involved and your father wasn't able to pay him," Rossi reasoned. Inwardly, he was seething at Anna's father. Learning this must have completely thrown her world off it's axis and certainly explained the shell she'd become lately.

"I," the tears were falling freely from Anna's eyes now, "wasn't even worth a college education to a multimillionaire, I'm not worth much of anything."

"Don't say that. Why would you say that? Think that?"

Anna rolled her eyes. "Look at how many lives I've made worse: Hotch and JJ, Jack and Henry, Spencer and Derek, yours..."

Rossi reached over and grabbed her hands. "You haven't made anything in my life worse. If anything, you've brought laughter and joy into my life. And you helped Hotch, JJ, Jack, and Henry become a family."

"I terrified those little boys as if they didn't have enough trauma in their lives. And I saw Hotch's eyes. He's going to blame himself for my failures, just when he was forgiving himself for Haley. How did I make any of that better? And look what I did to Spencer! I forced him to be my friend, to be my brother, and then I shut him out cold. He has almost no family and I gave him that just to snatch it away. And Derek? I got him to fall in love with me just to turn my back on him." Anna hung her head. "How did I make anyone's life anything but miserable, Dave?"

"I think," Rossi told her slowly, "that you are in a very bad place right now and there's not much that I can say that you would believe right now. But I promise you, there's not a single person that you named that thinks their life is better without you. They're all fighting for you. It's all up to you to decide what you want."

Anna huffed. "What I want?"

"What do you want, Anna?" Rossi asked her, softly.

"I want to move away to where nobody knows who I am. I want to tuck the last thirty-one years in a box and never think about it again." She paused, wiping away her tears. "I want to disappear, but I can't do that to Jack and Henry."

"Oh, kiddo," Rossi breathed.

Anna licked her lips. "I want to never hear that tone again."

"Why don't we start with a hug?" Rossi held his arms open until Anna crawled into them. He cradled her close as he would a small child. "It's going to be okay. I promise that someday, it's going to be okay."

"Can you," Anna muttered against his clothed chest. "Can you ask Hotch and JJ if I can see the boys?"

Rossi nodded. "I'm sure we can go over there tomorrow."

"No, I'm not ready to see them. Just the boys. I need to let them know that I'm okay. They have to see it for themselves."

"Okay," Rossi agreed. He pulled her in close again. "I'll see what I can do."

Rossi rang the doorbell to Hotch and JJ's house the next afternoon. He was unsurprised when both Jack and Henry followed JJ to the front door.

"Hi, Dave," JJ greeted warmly. "Come inside."

Rossi leaned down to hug Jack and Henry before they scurried off to be replaced by a curious Hotch. He seemed to freeze slightly at seeing Rossi. Hotch cleared his throat. "Everything okay?"

"Everything's fine. I actually got Anna to eat half a bowl of pasta for lunch today. She's napping right now." Rossi's eyes flickered from Hotch to JJ. "I actually came to ask you both a question."

"What is it?" JJ asked him.

Rossi took a deep breath. "Anna would like to see the boys. She wants them to reassure them that she's okay. I think it would do her a lot of good, too. She's got a lot of guilt wrapped up in them."

Hotch looked to JJ. She waited for a few moments before realizing that he was leaving the decision up to her. "I think that's a good idea. It might help with Jack's nightmares."

"Jack's been having nightmares?" Rossi repeated.

JJ nodded. "They're to be expected after something like this. I'm not too worried. Both he and Henry have been really clingy, too." She stopped talking as Hotch excused himself to take a phone call.

"How's he doing?" Rossi asked JJ.

She shrugged. "He's not really talking to me. I mean, I know it's only be two days, but he feels distant, more distant than he has been in a long time."

Rossi squeezed her shoulder. "I'm sure he just needs a few days to process. What do you say I pick the boys up on Sunday to spend the afternoon with Anna? I'll stay with them the whole time."

"That would be great, Dave. Thank you."

"Oh, Anna has an idea for a baby-sitter, too, if you're up for suggestions," Rossi offered.

"Definitely. Let's go into the kitchen and eat some cake that Garcia dropped off. We can talk more."

Rossi eagerly followed her, excited for Anna, but also worried for Hotch. He hoped Hotch wasn't spiraling once again, but he had faith that JJ could handle anything thrown her way.

"Anna!" Henry called out a few days later. She whipped her head around from the mantel, where she had been staring, lost in thought, to see Rossi, Jack, and Henry standing in the doorway. Anna broke into a wide grin. She fell to her knees as Henry ran to her, enveloping each other in a giant hug.

"Oh, I missed you!" Anna told him, kissing the top of his head repeatedly. "I missed you!"

Henry looked up at her with complete adoration. "Missed you." He ran his tiny fingers over her cast. "You gots an owie."

"I do. That means you and Jack get to color all over this one, too. Uncle Dave even bought some stickers." Anna looked up to see Jack still standing next to Rossi, solemnly observing the scene. She raised her arm to him and he fell into her, sobbing.

"Can you take him?" Anna asked, quietly. She passed Henry off to him before wrapping her arms tightly around Jack. She turned them both until her back was against the couch, pulling him onto her lap. Anna rubbed circles over his back until he calmed down. "I'm so sorry, Jack. I never meant to scare you."

Jack laid his head on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, too. I should have protected you."

Anna closed her eyes briefly. "Jack, it is not your job to protect me. It is my job to protect you; you and Henry, and part of that is taking care of myself so I can take care of you. I was just... so sad about what happened to me that I forgot that. I won't forget it again. That's a promise."

"Does that mean you're coming home? Me and Henry miss you. I think Daddy misses you, too. JJ says he walks around in a maze."

"I think you mean a daze," Anna corrected, gently. "I need to stay with Uncle Dave for awhile."

Jack sighed. "What's going to happen when Daddy and JJ have to go back to work? Who's going to watch me and Henry?"

Anna looked over at Henry, who was watching them from Rossi's arms. Rossi was sitting the chair. "Do you remember Olivia? She was Zach and Tucker's nanny? Well, she is meeting with your mommy and daddy right now to work out the details about being your baby-sitter for awhile. You liked her, remember?"

"Yeah! She does the obstacle courses!" Jack said, excitedly. "And she does the plays!"

"The lion! Rawr!" Henry added, bouncing on Rossi's lap.

Anna smiled. "See, you'll have lots of fun. And Uncle Dave talked to your parents and you get to come here to spend a day with me every week."

"At Uncle Dave's house?" Jack asked, stretching his neck to look at Rossi.

Rossi chuckled. "That's right, slugger. And we can do anything you want. We can go swimming in the indoor pool. We can run around in the basement. We can go sledding riding on the hills when it snows."

"Can we do sock races in the hallway?" Jack pleaded.

Anna pursed her lips to cover up her smile. Rossi half-rolled his eyes at her. "Maybe... if we clear everything out of the hallway first. But suddenly, I'm pretty sure I know how the vase that JJ's mother sent got broken."

Anna, Jack, and Henry all glanced at each other before replying at the same time, "Oops."

"So, I understand that somebody is having their third birthday party soon. And I hear it's a Thomas the Tank Engine party," Rossi said.

"Me! Me!" Henry shouted. He turned on Rossi's lap and patted his check. "Unc' Dave coming?"

Rossi nodded. "You bet, sport. I wouldn't miss it."

Henry turned back around. "Anna coming?"

"Not this time," Anna said, sadly, "but we'll do something special, just us."

"Hey, what do you guys say we go make some sundaes?" Rossi asked before the conversation could turn sad again. He threw an arm around Anna as the followed the boys to the kitchen, reassuring her that things would be okay.

"It's about time you got here!" JJ teased, opening the door to find Reid standing there, looking sheepish. "I'm starting to get a complex. You're always late to these parties."

"Sorry," Reid apologized. "I-"

He was cut off when another person popped up beside him. She was cute, in her mid-twenties, with deep brown eyes and brown hair just cut under her chin. She smiled nervously. "It was my fault. I couldn't decide what to wear. I don't go to a lot of kids' parties, especially ones I don't know. And really what do you wear to meet the co-workers that your boyfriend considers family?" She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I'm rambling. I'm Lauren."

"JJ," JJ replied, shaking her hand, "and I think you look adorable. Come on in."

"Is, uh, is Anna here?" Reid asked as he and Lauren followed JJ inside.

JJ shook her head. "She told Dave that she wasn't quite ready to face us yet. But everyone else is here and they're looking forward to meeting the new girl in your life."

Reid grabbed Lauren's hand as they made their way into the living room. Most of the team was there as well as a few adults he didn't recognize, Jack, Henry, and half a dozen small children. Henry's train theme appeared on the walls, on the tables, in the food, and even on Henry himself as he was dressed as a conductor.

"Where's Hotch?" Reid asked JJ, noticing his absence from the room.

JJ sighed. "Hiding in the kitchen."

"Uncle Spence!" Jack yelped before leaping onto him. Reid struggled not to drop him. "You're here!"

"I am," Reid affirmed. "Jack, this is, uh, my friend, Lauren."

Lauren waved at him. "Hi Jack. It's very nice to meet you."

"You, too," Jack replied, politely. "Are you going to marry Uncle Spencer?"

Behind them, Garcia and Morgan both laughed while Prentiss groaned. She pulled out a ten and slapped it into Morgan's outstretched palm. Reid glared at them both.

"Come on, Jack," Rossi said, taking Jack from Reid's arms. "What have I told you about listening to anything that Mr. Derek tells you to do?"

"Only to do it if you're in on the bet," Jack repeated dutifully.

JJ shook her head. She excused herself before wandering into the kitchen. She found Hotch standing at the counter, arranging food on a tray. JJ stood beside him, rubbing his back.

"Reid's here," she told him. "He brought Lauren. She seems sweet."

"I'll be out in a minute," Hotch replied. He never looked up from the food.

JJ removed her hand and turned so that her hip was against the counter. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine. I'm just trying to get the food organized. Anna usually takes care of these details."

"Hotch-"

"JJ," Jack interrupted, pulling Henry along, "Henry has to use the potty, but he won't let anybody, but you take him."

JJ shot one last look at Hotch before picking Henry up to take him to the bathroom. Jack took her place next to Hotch. "Daddy, have you thought about my birthday?"

"Not today, Jack," Hotch told him, soberly.

"But, Daddy-"

Hotch slammed down the knife in his hand. "I said not today. Go play."

Jack puffed before running from the kitchen. He ran straight to Rossi and sat on his lap, pouting while the party continued. He finally left when it was time to open presents, the draw of seeing what Henry got too big for his sullen mood. The rest of the party passed uneventfully.

"Can we help with anything?" Reid asked as Hotch and JJ collected leftover plates and cups. Lauren stood next to him where she had joyfully been the entire time. Jack and Henry were playing in with Henry's new toys in his room.

JJ shook her head before hugging him. "No, we got it. Thank you so much for coming, Spence. The boys were so glad you came. And, Lauren, it was great to finally meet you. You're going to have to come to our next outing."

"Sounds wonderful," Lauren told her.

"Hey, Casanova," Morgan called out from the hallway. "We're going to head to the movies. You and your girl want to come with us?"

Reid glanced at Lauren who shrugged. "Sure."

"What about you, Rossi?"

"Another time," Rossi grinned. "I've got to get home."

Rossi's comment brought a bit of tension into the house that had dissipated during the course of the party. Rossi cleared his throat uncomfortably before saying his good-byes to the rest of the team. The others quickly followed.

"That seemed to go well," JJ commented to break the silence that descended over them after the others had left.

"Mm-hm," was all Hotch replied.

JJ frowned. "Jack wants to have a sleepover next Friday with a few of his friends. What do you think?"

"Whatever you want," he answered.

JJ threw the plates and napkins in her hands onto the coffee table. "Okay, are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"It's been a long day, JJ. I'm just tired."

JJ nodded. "And what's your excuse for the last few weeks?"

Hotch stood up and faced her, his eyes hallow. "What are you talking about?"

"You've been pulling away from me, away from us, since Anna went into the hospital. We've barely spent any alone time together."

"What are you talking about? We live together."

JJ licked her lips. "Yeah, we leave together and you've been going in early and coming home late. We take separate cars to work. We haven't had lunch together. You make sure that one of the boys is with us at all times when we're in the same room together. You haven't come into my room once or invited me into yours since the night you, me, and Jack slept in your room."

Hotch folded his arms, becoming defensive. "In case you haven't noticed, we've been a bit busy between increased paperwork at work and not having a nanny at home."

"We have a nanny now. Let's ask her to stay late on Monday and go to dinner together. Or we can get Rossi and Anna to look after them and do lunch tomorrow."

"I have work to do tomorrow and a late meeting with Strauss on Monday." Hotch wouldn't quite meet her eye.

JJ released a long breath. "Okay. What about telling the boys about us? You were all gung-ho about it, but you haven't mentioned a word lately."

"I just don't think this is the right time."

JJ froze, her heart pounding. "What do you mean?"

Hotch completely turned his head away. "I just think there's been a lot of changes in the boys' lives right now and throwing one more at them probably isn't the best idea right now."

"They've been wanting this for months. They've been our biggest cheerleaders. They'll be thrilled." JJ's voice was fluctuating between anger and sadness.

"I think," his voice was heavy, "that we should cool things down for a bit. I think everything's been crazy the last couple of months and we need to step back and take a breath."

The color drained from JJ's face and tears welled up in her eyes. "Are you serious? Look at me. Look at me!" JJ waited until he faced her before continuing. "Where is this coming from?"

"I just think that we should take stock of whether or not we-" his voice trailed off and his gaze slipped to her chin.

"Whether or not we should be together? After everything we've been through the last two years are you going to stand there and tell me that you are questioning that?" JJ wiped her nose. "I love you. Do you love me?"

Hotch's eyes flew to hers. "Of course, I do."

"Then, I don't understand how you can tell me that we need a break. We just started!"

"Exactly," Hotch breathed out. "We just started and look how hard it is already. Don't you think that if it was meant to be, it wouldn't be so hard?"

JJ ran her hands through her hair. "It's not hard. You're making it hard!"

Hotch felt his own tears slipping down his cheeks and a sob building in his chest. "I just... I can't right now. There's too much at stake. It was a mistake-"

"A mistake?" JJ roared. "You think being with me is a mistake?"

"That's not what I meant." Hotch took a few steps backwards. "I have to get out of here for awhile."

"Hotch," she called after him. "Hotch!"

JJ sat down on the couch and sobbed as the front door slammed closed.

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Hotch returned home after midnight. The house was still. He felt a brief pang of guilt when he noticed that JJ had finished cleaning up after the party without him, but that was nothing compared to the boulder of shame currently residing in his stomach. He hadn't meant for the conversation to turn out that way. He hadn't meant to upset her. His head was just all over the place and he was used to having it on straight. Therefore, he was unprepared when JJ wanted to talk and blurted out anything without thinking.

He loved JJ with all his heart. It tore him apart to think that she would question that, but he had driven her to ask just that very question. At the same time, he wasn't sure he was any good for her. He lost faith in himself so how could he ask her to have faith in him? He adored the family they created with the boys, but he couldn't shake the feeling lately that it was going to be ripped from him at any time. That's why he continuously pushed off Jacks birthday wish.

Hotch sighed as made his way up the stairs. He wasn't sure what he was going to say, but he knew that he needed to talk to JJ. He would do that tomorrow, at least enough that they could continue the friendship they had.

He paused in front of Jack's bedroom. He stuck his head inside, surprised to find it empty. He next moved to Henry's room, but found neither of the boys there either. Assuming they must be sleeping with JJ, he carefully poked his head in her room. However, he found that room to be empty, too. The dread in his chest began to grow as he raced to his own room, hoping they had decided to have a sleepover there, but found that room deserted as well.

Hotch was fumbling for his cell phone when he saw a note in the center of the bed. He recognized JJ's handwriting as he picked it up.

Hotch,

I'm taking the boys to Spencer's for a few days. I think we both need some time to figure out our next step. I've also arranged it with Strauss to take the next two weeks off. I'll have Jack call you tomorrow to check in.

JJ

Hotch sank onto his bed, letting the letter fall onto the floor.

What had he done?


	22. Of Deep Hurts and Comforting Friends

Hotch woke up to a buzzing sound next to his head. It took a few moments to realize that it was his cell phone. He unfolded himself from the end of the bed where he had passed out the night before, his body protesting with every movement.

"Hello?" he grunted.

"Hi, Daddy," Jack answered, his voice sad.

Hotch pulled his body upright. "How are you, buddy? Are you having fun at Uncle Spencer's?"

Jack sighed. "I guess so. Uncle Spencer is teaching us some magic tricks."

"That sounds like a lot of fun. You don't sound too excited by that. You always liked Uncle Spencer's magic tricks." Hotch frowned at the tone of Jack's voice.

"Daddy, why are we here?" Jack asked him. "JJ told us that we were spending some time with Uncle Spencer because you needed some time alone. Are you fighting?"

Hotch felt a sharp pain in his chest. He took a deep breath. "I said some things that hurt JJ very much."

"Why?"

The innocent tone in Jack's voice nearly broke Hotch's heart. "I don't know, buddy. I guess I was hurting and wasn't thinking."

"Anna says that words hurt more than hits sometimes," Jack told him.

"She's right," Hotch admitted with a sigh. "Do you want me to come and get you?"

"And JJ and Henry?" Jack asked, hopefully.

Hotch rubbed his face. "Not today."

"Tomorrow?"

Hotch groaned. "I don't know, Jack. I have to talk to JJ, but I don't think they will."

Jack bit his bottom lip before responding softly, "I want to spend the day with JJ, please."

"Okay. Can you put her on the phone?"

"Sure. I love you, Daddy." Jack put down the phone before Hotch had the chance to reciprocate. Again, Hotch felt a pain in his chest as he was suddenly overwhelmed by missing JJ and the boys. His focus sharpened when he heard the phone pick up again.

"Hotch?" JJ questioned, quietly.

He took a deep breath. "JJ, I'm sorry. I-"

"I don't want to hear it," JJ cut him off. "Not now."

Hotch felt his eyes well up at the coldness in her voice, knowing that he did that to her. "Jack wants to spend the day with you, if that's okay."

He could practically hear JJ roll her eyes as she replied, "Of course, it is."

"I'll pick him up in the morning and take him to school. Olivia starts tomorrow so she can pick him up after school and bring him home."

JJ hesitated, not wanting to give up Jack, but knowing that she had to. "Okay. Can I... call him at night?"

"Yes. You can call him whenever you want. You can see him whenever you want." Hotch bit the inside of his mouth. "Would it be okay if I took Henry out to dinner with Jack and me on Wednesday?"

"Sure." She didn't know what would happen between herself and Hotch, but she was certain that she wanted Hotch to remain a strong presence in Henry's life, even if they went back to being just colleagues, and she wanted to be the same for Jack. It's what they promised each other before this whole thing began. "Do you want to talk to him?"

"I would, very much." Again, Hotch heard the phone put down and back up again.

Henry hummed as he put the phone to his mouth. "Hello?"

Hotch broke into a wide grin. "Hi Henry!"

"Hi Motch," Henry replied, his voice lacking some of its usually enthusiasm. Hotch felt a lump in his throat. He couldn't remember the last time Henry called him "Motch" instead of "Daddy." "Where are you?"

"I'm at home."

"Oh." was all Henry replied.

Hotch cleared his throat. "Are you having fun at Uncle Spencer's?"

Henry nodded, even though Hotch couldn't see him. "Unc Spence is funny."

"Yeah, he is." Hotch took a moment before continuing. "I want you to have a good time at Uncle Spencer's, okay?"

"Okay."

Hotch rubbed his forehead. "Jack and I are going to take you out to dinner on Wednesday, okay?"

"Pizza?" Henry asked.

"Sure." He had to hold the phone away from his ear as Henry squealed. "I want you to be good for your mom. I love you, Henry."

"Love you, too, Motch," Henry replied. "Bye."

Hotch stared at the phone screen for a few minutes after Henry hung up before realizing that no one was going to call him back. Sighing for what felt like the fiftieth time that day, he tossed the phone on the bed. He had made a real mess of things this time. His head was telling him to let JJ go; to try to repair only the friendship, but his heart was waging an intense battle for fight for her, fight for their life together. It was a battle he couldn't remember ever having before. He only wished he knew which side would win.

"Is he gone?" Morgan asked Rossi as he snuck into the BAU on Wednesday.

Rossi turned from his position on the walkway where he had watched as Hotch got on the elevator on his way to pick up the boys. "He's gone. You can tell your cohorts that it's safe."

Morgan glared at him, but whistled. Rossi chuckled as Prentiss and Garcia appeared from around the corner. They both looked throughout the room suspiciously.

"You know, I thought angry Hotch was bad, but this-" Prentiss released a long breath. "It's making me miss the death ray glare."

"So, do we know what happen between them?" Garcia asked. She let out a nervous giggle when three sets of eyes turned to her.

Morgan squinted his eyes. "You haven't talked to JJ?"

She huffed. "No and Reid claims he doesn't know either; that JJ won't talk about it with him either."

"Does Anna know?" Prentiss asked Rossi. Rossi squirmed uncomfortably as he shook his head.

"You haven't told her yet?" Morgan asked, incredulously.

Rossi glared at him. "No. She doesn't need one more thing to blame herself for and that's exactly what she'll do when she hears that Hotch and JJ are taking a break or whatever." He sighed. "Not that it matters. The boys will tell her when they come over tomorrow anyway."

"Rossi, man, you've got to tell her. If she finds out that you knew and didn't say anything, she's going to be pissed."

"She's going to be pissed anyway." Rossi found his own ire growing as Morgan continued to stare at him. Rossi threw his hands in the air. "Why don't you go tell her and you can deal with the fallout."

"Maybe I will." With that Morgan turned and walked away from the group, leaving them all bewildered. He gathered his things from his office before leaving the BAU. He drove immediately over to Rossi's, pausing only when he stood outside the door. He muttered to himself, "Come on, Derek. You can do this."

Anna wore a pair of baggy blue sweatpants and a gray sweatshirt when she opened the door. Some of the color had returned to her face and the circles under her eyes were barely noticeable. She looked better than he had seen in a few months. Anna was unable to stop her jaw from dropping when she realized who was on the other side of the door. "Hi."

"JJ moved out!" Morgan blurted. He slapped his hand over his mouth.

"Wha-what?" she stuttered.

Morgan cringed. "I didn't mean to tell you that way. Can I come in?"

Anna nodded, ushering him inside. She led him to the kitchen, grabbing them each a bottle of water before settling at the table. "What's going on?"

Morgan took a deep breath, fiddling with the wrapper on his bottle. "Hotch and JJ had some sort of fight. She and Henry are staying with Reid for now."

"What did they fight about?" she asked, rubbing her forehead.

"Nobody's really sure," he admitted, sadly. "She showed up at Reid's Saturday night with Jack and Henry. She would only tell him that they'd had a fight and she needed a place to stay for awhile. Hotch picked Jack up Monday morning to take him to school and he's been home ever since."

Anna paused for a moment. "So, this happened on Saturday and you're just telling me on Wednesday."

Morgan nodded, slowly. "I just found out that you didn't know. I know that you're getting the boys tomorrow and I didn't want you to be blindsided by that."

"Thanks. I appreciate that, actually. Dave can be a bit overprotective at times."

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, timidly.

Anna smiled at him. "I'm not sure that there's anything to talk about right now. I don't really know what's going on."

Morgan grabbed her hand. "If I hear anything, I'll let you know."

"Thanks," she repeated, squeezing his hand. She watched him watch her for a few minutes before saying, "You can go ahead and ask me. I know you want to."

He chuckled. "How are you?"

Anna shrugged. "I'm sleeping better, I guess. I can usually get a good four hours in before I wake up. It's a lot better than what I had been doing," she assured him when his face fell. "Plus, I take naps during the day. Food's... hit or miss most days, but I'm not losing any weight. I'm seeing a therapist, but trying to retrain my brain is a lot of work."

"I'm sure. But if anyone can do it, you can."

"Hey, do you have any plans this evening?" Anna asked him, suddenly. Morgan shook his head. "How would you like to hang out here? We could order pizza and watch movies on Dave's big screen. He's out for the evening."

Morgan studied her, closely, wanting to spend the evening with her, but afraid of the potential repercussions. Curiosity won in the end and he replied, "Are you going to actually eating the pizza?"

Anna attempted to hide a sly smile. "Probably only a few bites, but I have specialty shakes to make up for it."

"In that case, I'd say it sounds like a great idea."

"Good." She stood up, pulling him to his feet. She stopped in the kitchen doorway and whispered just loud enough for him to hear, "I missed you."

Morgan placed a hand on her shoulder, not wanting to initiate too much contact, knowing her aversion to touch recently. "I missed you, too."

Morgan and Anna stayed on the couch through two movies before he left for the night. They talked little about what was going on in their lives, preferring to just enjoy spending time together. Anna returned to the living room with a contemplative look on her face after walking Morgan to the door as she reviewed the night. She still had the look on her face nearly an hour later when there was a loud commotion at the front door.

"What is going on here?" Anna whispered loudly as Rossi half dragged a drunk Prentiss into the house.

Rossi rolled his eyes. "She had a little too much to drink so I brought her here. Why aren't

you in bed?"

"I'm not tired yet. Hey, Emily," she said.

"Anna!" Prentiss shouted. She started to throw her arms around Anna, but stopped when she saw Anna tense up. Prentiss aimed for Rossi instead. "You look so much better than the last time I saw you."

Anna giggled. "Can you even see me at this point?"

Prentiss nodded. "Yes. All three of you."

"Okay, time to get you to bed," Rossi told her. He shot Anna a dirty look as he guided Prentiss towards the stairs. "In the guest room. Not a word, young lady."

"Yes, sir!" Anna mocked saluted him. She waited until Rossi had turned down the hallway before whispering to herself, "What an interesting night this turned out to be."

"Did Henry have a good time?" Reid asked, walking into his tiny kitchen. He had just gotten home from a date with Lauren.

JJ looked up from the cooling mug of tea in front of her. "He seemed to. He talked non-stop about Jack and... Hotch when he got home."

Reid frowned at her tone. "But?"

"But he stopped calling Hotch 'Daddy.' And I don't know if I should be worried or relieved." JJ watched as Reid sat down across from her. "What do you think it says that Henry's stopped calling him 'Daddy'?"

"I think it means that he loves his mother very much," Reid responded, shooting her a shy smile. "JJ, are you ready to talk about what happened?"

She shrugged. "I thought he loved me."

"He does love you," Reid insisted. He grabbed JJ's hand when she shot him a look of disbelief. "If you could see how he's been walking around these last few days, you'd know that."

"Well, it's wonderful that he's showing the rest of you this."

Reid looked away from JJ and back again. "Why do you think he's called you every day?"

She extricated her hand from his. "To talk about Henry's visit."

"Every day?" Reid repeated, his eyebrows raised. "That's a lot of phone calls from a three hour visit."

"I guess."

Again, Reid frowned. "JJ, what did he say to you? Why are you hiding here?"

JJ let out a small huff of breath that she tried to turn into a chuckle. "I know we're cramping your style. I promise that I'll this figured out before I go back to work."

"You're not cramping my style!" Reid protested. "In fact, I like having you and Henry here. It makes me feel less lonely." He shot her a half smile that tore at her heart. "I mean, I have Lauren, but our relationship is still new; with our work schedule we're still getting to know each other. I like being with people that already know me."

"You really miss Anna, don't you?"

Reid was quiet for a moment. "I know I shouldn't. She pushed me away. She... hurt me. But, yeah, I miss her."

This time, JJ reached out to grab his hand. "It's okay to miss the people that hurt us. Hotch told me that he thinks it was a mistake to get involved. He thinks we should cool things off; take a break." She felt hot tears building up in the back of her eyes. "I love him. I love him more than I thought it was possible to love another person, but he's right. It's been hard. Maybe, it shouldn't be this hard."

"'Anything worth having is worth fighting for'," Reid told her. "Talk to him, JJ."

"Soon," she promised, letting Reid's words seep into her pores. "I just need a little time."

Reid squeezed her hand. "In the meantime, you are welcome to stay here as long as you'd like."

Hotch sat on the bench in the park on the brisk November Saturday watching a group of college students play a pick up game of football. It wasn't snowing, but judging by the smell in the air, snow wasn't far off. He was growing colder as the sun began its decent, but he found himself unable to move from his spot.

He had no one to go home to. Jack was spending the day with JJ and Henry and wouldn't be back until later that evening. Anna was still at Rossi's and hadn't talked to him in weeks. Olivia, their new nanny, was with her fiance for the weekend. He thought about calling someone up to grab dinner or a drink, but that would only lead to questions. Hotch wasn't ready to answer any questions.

It was hard to believe that it was just a week ago that they held Henry's party. A week ago, he had everything he thought he wanted: JJ and their boys, but he had thrown it away and for what? Anna wasn't even talking to him. Jack walked around in a daze, getting his first report from his teacher yesterday. Henry had reverted to calling him "Motch" once again and JJ refused to even meet with him, coordinating all efforts with the boys through short phone conversations.

"You're an idiot," Anna said, suddenly, plopping on the bench beside him.

"Anna!" Hotch gasped, startled. He felt a quick burst of happiness at seeing the mischief in her eyes before the feeling was replaced by annoyance. "How did you know I was here?"

Anna shrugged. "I heard that Jack was with JJ and Henry today so I took a shot that you'd be here."

"And you what? Came all the way here just to insult me?"

"Of course not." Anna licked her lips before taking a deep breath. "What the hell are you doing, Hotch?"

"I don't know!" he confessed, angrily.

Anna flinched at his tone, but willed herself to remain seated. She kept her voice quiet as she spoke. "I know you love her. You exclaimed it in the middle of the hallway at the hospital. You practically mauled her in the middle of a park on your first date. That's-"

"-not my typical behavior," Hotch finished. "Don't you see, Anna? I don't trust myself right now."

"Why?" Anna cocked her head in confusion.

Hotch sighed. He considered lying to her, but was sure that she'd see right through that. Besides, a small part of him felt good to be talking to her like this again. "I missed all the warning signs that you were in trouble. I'm suppose to be closer to you than anyone. If I missed them, how can I trust my own judgment? How can I ask JJ to be with someone like that? She deserves so much more than me."

Anna took a deep breath. "You're an excellent profiler, Hotch; one of the best. I'm not so bad myself; I learned it from you. I knew exactly what to do and say to make you think that I was getting better. I did it because I knew that if I could make you believe that I was okay then I could make everyone believe that. I focused all on you. This is on no one, but me. It's my failure, not yours. You don't get to take that away from me."

"You think that you failed?" Hotch peered at her closely.

"Yes," she replied, honestly. "I failed you and JJ. Spencer. Who knows what I did to those boys? Derek. My mother. My grandmother. Myself."

Hotch rubbed his face. "I-"

"No!" Anna cut him off forcefully. "This is on me. This is mine. You don't get to take that away from me. I'm working on forgiving myself for what's happened since the kidnapping. The rest of you haven't done anything to be forgiven." She placed her hand on his arm. "Stop hiding behind me. You love JJ. Go tell her that. Go do whatever you have to do to get her back."

"She doesn't want to talk to me. I've tried," Hotch protested.

Anna shook her head. "She does. It's just that she wants you to fight for her, for your relationship."

"I'll try." Hotch gave her a small smile as she stood up. She took a step away from the bench. "Hey, Anna?"

She paused. "Yeah?"

"I miss talking to you."

A small grin spread across Anna's face. "I miss you, too."

"Excuse me, sir?" An older woman with brown hair in a bun carrying a bucket of flowers interrupted the two of them. "Would you like to buy your girlfriend some flowers?"

"Oh, he's not my boyfriend," Anna answered. "He's my brother."

Hotch breathed in sharply. He turned to face Anna, but she was already walking away. He sat against the back of bench, a bud of hope blossoming in his gut. For the first time in many weeks, he was beginning to believe that Anna would be okay. Now, he just needed to concentrate on getting JJ back.


	23. Of Forgiveness and Skates

"Are you sure you don't want to stay home with me?" JJ asked Henry for the third time.

Henry stuck one hand on his hip. "No, Mama. I wanna go with Unc Spence. We go the library."

JJ sighed, not wanting to be home alone, but not feeling up to running errands with Reid. "Okay. Give me a kiss."

Henry hurried over to JJ and kissed her loudly. He grabbed Reid's hand and nearly dragged him out of the house. JJ wandered into the kitchen. She took a doughnut from the box on the counter and poured herself another cup of coffee. She rescued the Sunday paper from the table and settled on the couch. She was halfway through the comics when there was a knock on Reid's door.

Sighing, she walked towards the door, assuming it was Reid's annoying downstairs neighbor, Mrs. Stewart. She froze when she opened the door to find Hotch standing on the other side. "What are you doing here? Where's Jack?"

"With Dave and Anna," he replied. "I need to talk to you and you wouldn't do it over the phone. Can I come in?" His heart fell when she just stood there. "Please?"

Closely her eyes briefly, JJ nodded, ushering him inside. "Can I get you something?"

Hotch shook his head. "I won't stay long if you don't want me to."

"What do you want to talk about?" JJ asked as she sat down on the couch, gesturing for him to sit down.

He took a deep breath before diving right in. "I want you to move back home." He frowned when she bit her lip, but didn't respond. "I miss you... and Henry. So does Jack."

JJ looked down at her hands, speaking quietly, "We miss you, too."

Hotch felt his heart leap at her words, even though he knew he was in for an uphill battle. "I'm sorry. I was hurt and wasn't thinking clearly. I took my anger out on you when you did nothing to deserve it."

"No, I didn't," she shot back at him, causing his face to falter a bit.

"Anna was right; I-"

JJ sighed, "Anna." She stood from the couch and paced the room for a bit. She stopped suddenly and turned to him. "How is it that two years ago, we had never even heard of Anna, but now she's integral to your mental health?"

Hotch froze. He hadn't anticipated JJ harboring any anger towards Anna or his relationship with her. "She's... not."

"Really? Because I have been trying to get you to talk to me for weeks without getting anywhere. You have one conversation with Anna and you're at my door, ready to discuss everything."

"I-" Hotch paused, taking a deep breath. "Anna and I have always had those conversations. She's the one that convinced me to come back to work after Haley died; to sign the divorce papers; to support Sean's culinary dreams. She just... she wasn't a part of my BAU life so I never brought her up." He jumped off the couch, reaching her in two long strides. "You know we've only ever been friends, right? We-"

JJ put her hands in front of her to stop him. "I know that. I'm not jealous of Anna; at least, not the way you're thinking. I like Anna. I just wish I was the one that you talked to about these things."

Hotch ran his hand over his face. "My mother was a very private person. She taught us that we should always present a brave face as if everything was perfect. Haley was very similar. She even cleaned the house before she took Jack and left so that no one would know anything was wrong." He cleared his throat. "Anna was the first person that took an active interest in my side and didn't just want to sweep it under a rug for the perfect greeting card picture. I guess, I got so comfortable with her fulfilling that role that I never looked at anyone else to do it."

"That has to change," JJ told him. "If we're going to continue with our relationship, you have to come to me with all of you: the good, the bad, and the ugly. I have to see all sides of you and you have to see all sides of me. You can't use Anna as buffer to sort out your feelings."

"I know," he replied, briefly closing his eyes.

JJ sighed. "What did Anna tell you?"

Hotch shrugged. "She told me that I was being an idiot. She told me that it was selfish of me to try to take on her issues as my failure when they belong to no one but her. She told me that I needed to come see you to prove to you that I want to make this work."

"I have to hand it to her," JJ said, "she knows you."

"JJ, I love you. The thought of losing you, of going back to just being colleagues or worse, having you walk out of my life completely, absolutely sickens me. I haven't eaten or slept properly since you walked out the door. I think the team's ready to throw me over and put Rossi in charge. I need you. I want you. I am begging you to come back home," Hotch pleaded.

JJ absently swiped at a tear. "I want to. We promised that we wouldn't let anything that happened to us come between our relationship with the boys."

Hotch frowned. "I don't want you to come home just for the boys. I want you to come home to me." Hotch put his hands on her shoulders. "I know I hurt you. I would do anything to change that. I never meant to imply that we were a mistake. We're not a mistake. I would shout from the rooftops if I thought that's what you wanted."

"I don't," she said, quietly. "Not now anyway. I love you, but I'm not sure that I can trust you, not with my heart, anyway." She looked away when she saw tears in his eyes. "But I'm not ready to give this up yet."

"JJ..." Hotch's voice trailed off as he ran his hands down her arms before letting her go.

JJ shook her head. "We'll come home; Henry and I. You and I, though, have to take things slow."

Hotch released a shaky breath. "Anything. I'll do anything."

"And I need you to talk to me, not Anna, about the things that are bothering you. I mean, you can talk to her, too. I'm not trying to come between your friendship, but-"

"No," Hotch interrupted. "I understand what you're saying. Our relationship needs to be between the two of us. I love Anna. She's my little sister, but I have to let her make her own mistakes and not feel guilty over them."

She nodded. "I want this to work. I love you. I... can't remember what it was like to not love you. I just-"

"Need to take it slow," he finished. "I get it. We'll take this at your pace. We'll tell the boys when you're comfortable."

"Thank you." JJ glanced around the apartment. "Henry's out with Reid right now, but when he comes back, we'll pack up and come home. I'll call you when we're on our way."

Hotch closed his eyes briefly, a smile on his lips. "I'll let Jack know." He paused. "Can I... can I hug you?"

JJ bit her bottom lip as she nodded, a blush creeping up her neck. She didn't wait for him to come to her, instead reached out and pulled him into her arms. JJ laid her head against his chest, breathing in his scent. She could feel his heart speed up and it made her feel strangely powerful.

"You should go talk to Jack," JJ told him after a few minutes. She grinned when he kissed her forehead as he pulled away. "We'll see you soon."

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"The table's all set. The boys are dressed and watching a video in the living room. Is there anything I can do to help?" Hotch asked, walking into the living room that Thursday.

JJ bit her bottom lip to keep from sighing as she checked on the turkey. She had to remind herself that Hotch didn't mean to hover; that he just wanted to help. His buzzing about, however, was starting to get under her skin. She was starting to regret not taking Prentiss up on her offer to take over Thanksgiving this year.

Even as she told Hotch that they were going to have to take things slow, a part of her thought that they would be able to pick up where they left off. She felt frustrated that it hadn't turned out that way, not that she blamed Hotch completely. She didn't seem to be able to get back to how they were before Anna's kidnapping.

"No, thank you. I think I have everything covered. It'll be done soon."

Hotch frowned, noticing her tense up. "I guess I'll go watch television with the boys."

"Hotch, wait," JJ called out when he reached the doorway. She tossed the potholder on the counter and walked over to him. She kissed his cheek gently. "Thanks for the offer."

"You're welcome," he replied, a small smiled appearing on his lips.

Hotch headed towards the living room only to pivot to the front door when the doorbell rang. He found Garcia and Kevin standing on the other side. Garcia held pie boxes in her hands. She said a quick hello to Hotch before scurrying off to the kitchen.

"Happy Thanksgiving, gumdrop," Garcia greeted, coming into the kitchen. She dropped the pies off on the counter. "Two pumpkin and one pecan pie as requested."

"Thanks, Pen," JJ replied, glancing up from scooping mashed potatoes into a bowl.

Garcia sat down on the other side of the center isle. "Anything I can do to help?" She looked relieved when JJ shook her head. "How's everything going with the boss man?"

JJ shrugged. "It's awkward a lot."

"What's awkward?" Prentiss asked, walking into the kitchen with a container of salad.

"JJ and Hotch," Garcia responded, ignoring the exasperated look from JJ.

Prentiss nodded in understanding. "Well, yeah. I mean, it's bound to be. You've only been back for four days."

JJ sighed. "Could we maybe not talk about this?"

"Talk about what?" Reid asked, joining the crowd. He passed JJ an olive tray. He looked expectantly at the three girls. "Oh. Right. JJ and Hotch."

"JJ and Hotch what?" Morgan questioned, placing a basket of rolls on the table.

Garcia hugged him. "We're not talking about them."

JJ sighed again. "And clearly, it's going well." She checked the turkey one more time. "Everything's ready. We just need Dave and Anna to get here."

"Oh," Prentiss said, mysteriously. "Dave said not to wait for them. He said that Anna was having a rough day and they may be late."

"And when were you talking to Dave, Miss Prentiss?" Morgan smirked as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

Prentiss glared at him. "He called to ask my opinion on the wine he was bringing."

Morgan opened his mouth to say more, but was stopped by a piercing look from Garcia.

"Well, if we're not waiting on those two, can someone go ask Hotch to come here so he can get the turkey out?" JJ asked, shifting the conversation.

"I think I will," Morgan offered in an effort to escape the kitchen. He met Hotch in the hallway and sent him to the kitchen. He was headed to the living room to help Kevin with the boys when the doorbell ran again. Morgan opened the door to find Rossi and a nervous Anna on the other side. He grinned at them both. "You're right on time. Hotch is pulling the turkey out now."

Rossi placed his hand on the Anna's back, making sure she saw that he was doing so. "You ready for this?"

"No," she replied, shaking her head. She pushed forward anyway, placing a smile on her face.

"How's it going?" Morgan asked her as she passed. He frowned as she shrugged, but felt his heart lighten a bit when she squeezed his arm. He turned his attention to Rossi. "So, is that the wine that you had to get Emily's opinion on?"

Rossi glowered at him as Anna snorted. Rossi opened his mouth to say more, but was stopped by Jack screeching out Anna's name. His yells brought Henry's notice and soon both boys were climbing all over her.

"Guys, you should give Anna a break," Hotch reprimanded gently, walking into the hallway.

"They're fine," Anna assured him, but the boys pulled away from her anyway. Anna glanced back at Rossi, who gave her an encouraging smile. "Sorry we're late. I had a bit of a hard time today."

"The important thing is that you made it," Morgan told her.

At that moment, JJ walked out of the kitchen, carrying a big bowl of mashed potatoes. "Hi, Anna. Hi, Dave. You're just in time. Dinner's ready."

The entire group followed JJ into the dining room. Sitting down, they said a brief prayer of thanks before digging in. Garcia and Morgan, with input from Reid and occasionally Prentiss and Kevin, kept most of the conversation going. Hotch spent his time watching JJ while Jack kept an eye on his dad at all times. Rossi focused his energy on Anna, who kept her head down. Henry gleefully ate his plate of food, ignoring any of the tension in the room.

"So, lover boy," Morgan said in a teasing voice that had Reid already tensing up. "Where is that pretty little thing you've been dating at today? I thought you two were joined at the hip these days."

Reid's cheeks flamed red. "Not all the time. She's with her parents and sisters. She'll be back early tomorrow morning. She, uh, asked me to come along, but I wanted to spend time with my family."

The ahs from the table caused Reid to grow even more red. He snuck a glance in Anna's direction and was pleased to see that she was smiling at him, too. With a mischievous look, Reid turned to Prentiss. "So, Emily, I tried to call you last night, but I couldn't get a hold of you. Care to share where you were at?"

"I was at Penelope's, smartass," Prentiss replied.

Garcia nodded. "Of course, you did leave after a mysterious phone call."

"Girl code!" Prentiss called out over the noise from the table.

"You know, come to think of it," Morgan interjected, "I tried to call Rossi last night, too, and wasn't able to get through to him either."

Rossi calmly wiped his mouth with his napkin. "And it couldn't possibly have been because I was ignoring you."

Morgan dramatically pretended to be hurt. He leaned down to whisper in Henry's ear. Henry looked at him perplexed. "Aunt Emmy and Uncle Dave kissing?"

"Oh, that's just wonderful, Derek!" Prentiss stewed. She tossed her roll at him as the rest of the table broke into laughter. "No, Henry. Mr. Derek is just teasing."

"Can we have pie now?" Jack whined awhile after the teasing had calmed down.

"You haven't finished all of your corn yet," Hotch replied.

Jack frowned. "Neither did Anna."

Anna's cheeks tinged as all eyes surreptitiously turned towards her. She had only managed to take a bite of mashed potatoes and one of the turkey. She was pushing the rest of the food around in an effort to make it appear as if she had eaten more than she had as she listened to the conversations around her.

"Anna's an adult and doesn't have the same rules," Hotch told Jack bringing attention back to him.

"Are you going to be able to eat anymore?" Rossi whispered to Anna. She shook her head and he pulled out a can from underneath the table. "Here you go."

Jack watched as Anna opened the can and drink from it. "What is that?"

Anna put on a brave face and focused all of her attention on only Jack, silencing Hotch's burgeoning protests with a wave of her hand. "This is a special drink for me when I don't feel like eating. It's so I get all the vitamins that I need to get big and strong."

"Like when Henry used to drink his bottle?" Jack asked. "When he was a baby?"

"I'm not a baby!" Henry protested.

Anna chuckled. "Just like that."

"No, Henry," JJ assured him as he continued to protest, "you're not a baby, but you were once."

"So was Jack and Anna and even Uncle Dave," Garcia whispered conspiratorially.

The three-year-old looked at Rossi with complete wonder. "Uncle Dave was a baby?"

Rossi shook his head. "No."

"Can we have pie now?" Jack asked again over the boisterous laughter.

"When you finish your corn," JJ told him, backing Hotch up.

Morgan leaned across the table towards Jack. "Tell you what, let's race to see which of us can get through the corn first." He poised his fork over his corn. "Ready. Set. Go!"

"Can you believe the mess that Morgan made when he raced Jack to finish their corn?" JJ asked Hotch as they cleaned up the kitchen later that evening.

"I think Reid's milk spitting laughter caused a bigger mess," he replied, closing the dishwasher and starting it. Hotch turned to see JJ running water in the sink. He put his his hands on hers and pulled her away. "Oh, no. You did most of the cooking. The very least that I can do is clean-up."

JJ smiled. "Thank you." She jumped onto the counter and watched as he did the dishes. "Everyone seemed to have a good time, don't you think?"

"They did."

"And Anna seems to be doing better," she offered. JJ rolled her eyes when all he did was offer up an affirmative grunt. "You know, we can talk about her. She's still our friend."

Hotch paused and looked at her, shooting her a half-grin. "It's just going to take some time to find that balance."

JJ frowned. "Are the boys acting weird to you?"

"Weird how?"

"Like," she sighed, "almost like they're cautious. Like Henry calling you "Motch.' I know it's what we wanted, but it feels-"

"-wrong," Hotch finished. "I know. And Jack is being quieter than normal, holding back, waiting to see what's going on instead of just rocketing forward."

JJ bit her bottom lip. "Do you think they'll go back to normal? Or do you think we..."

Hotch stopped loading the dishwasher. He stood in front of JJ, placing his hands on her knees, running his thumbs gently over her black slacks. "I think they've been through a lot the last few years, but if we stay strong for them, they'll be okay."

"I missed this." She gave him a small smile when his eyes filled with questions. "I missed how you always manage to make me feel like everything is going to be okay, as if all I need to do was close my eyes and take your hand."

"I'm sorry," he said, tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry that I took that away from you and I promise to do everything in my power to make you feel that way about me again."

JJ grabbed his shoulders and drew him close to her. "I love you."

Hotch gripped onto her. "I love you, too. So much." He kissed her lips, tenderly. "We can do this. I have faith in us."

"Me, too."

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Reid held tightly onto Lauren's hand as they walked through the park on the way to the ice skating rink the following Saturday. He noticed her taking in the snow and began to speak. "Did you know that-"

"-it snows an average of 8.1 days in Arlington each year?" Anna finished, surprising both Reid and Lauren by coming up behind them.

"Anna! Hi!" Reid nearly shouted. The smile that spread across his face was genuine. "What are you doing here?"

Anna glanced at her phone. "Waiting for Weber. We're suppose to go skating."

Reid grinned at Lauren. "That's where we're heading, too. We're meeting Hotch, JJ, and the boys."

"We should all go together," Lauren piped in. She waited a few moments before continuing. "Spencer was so excited that you made it to Thanksgiving. It was all, 'my sister said this' and my sister did that.'"

Reid shifted, uncomfortably, heat rising to his cheeks. He took a quick look at Anna and found her biting her bottom lip to stop from smiling. He felt his insides grow warm.

"I- Weber, don't you dare!" Anna screamed suddenly. She had just enough time to register him coming before she felt herself being lifted off the ground and thrown into a pile of snow. She groaned at the laughter all around her, though internally grateful that he had let her know he was coming before just dumping her on the ground. "Weber, you ass! Now, I'm all wet!"

"Just how I like my women," he retorted as he helped her up. Weber turned his attention to Reid and Lauren. He slapped Reid playfully on the shoulder. "Hey, Spencer. How have you been? We haven't seen you at the clubs much."

Reid tried to cover up his smile, pleased that he had made enough of an impression to be missed. "Uh, well, you know, I've been busy with work."

Weber nodded in understanding. "You should come out with us the next time I can drag Anna out. Bring your girl." He winked at Lauren. "I promise I won't even hit on her."

"Weber, stop being a douche," Anna told him with a roll of her eyes.

"We should really get moving, Spencer," Lauren told him, though clearly amused by Weber's antics. "We're going to be late meeting JJ."

Reid nodded at her before looking at Anna. "Coming?" He frowned when Anna hesitated. "I know they'd love to see you."

"Okay," Anna agreed, her voice soft. She smiled when Weber gestured for her to follow Reid and Lauren.

"Anna! Anna!" Jack shouted when he saw her. He broke free from JJ's hand to leap into Anna's arms. "I didn't know you were going to be here."

Anna kissed his forehead. "We didn't know you were going to be here either. Must be kismet."

Jack looked to Reid. "What's kismet?"

"Fate," Reid answered simply. He looked pleased that he had managed to provide Jack with an uncomplicated answer. Lauren grinned at him, patting him on his back.

"Anna!" Henry called out. He was pulling Morgan along from the skate rental area. "Mama, I find Mr. Derek!"

JJ grinned at Morgan's embarrassment of being tugged along by the three-year-old. She swept Henry up in her arms. "You certainly did. What are you doing here, Morgan?"

Morgan shrugged. "Rossi-"

"-asked you to check up on me, didn't he?" Anna asked. She rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Thanks."

"Well, I don't know about you guys," Weber said, starting to move away from the crowd, "but I see some fine tail just waiting for me over there."

"Tail?" Henry piped up.

Anna pushed Weber as JJ's jaw set. "Go. I'll see you later."

Hotch walked up as Weber left. He greeted everyone shortly. "Okay, boys, I got your skates. Who's skating with me and who's skating with JJ?"

"I'll skate with you, Dad," Jack told him.

"Mama," Henry declared.

Anna watched curiously as JJ and Hotch exchanged almost defeated looks. She turned to Morgan, Reid, and Lauren. "Guess we should go get our own skates."

"Jack, are you sure you wouldn't rather skate with me?" JJ asked, as she finished tying Henry's skates. She looked over at him when he hesitated. "I bet we could skate circles around your dad and Henry."

"No," Jack replied, quietly. "I want to skate with my dad."

Hotch grabbed Jack's hand, leading him gingerly to the ice. "What if we all go together?"

"Okay," Jack and Henry agreed.

Hotch grabbed Henry's hand while keeping a hold of Jack, leaving JJ to grab a hold of Henry's other hand. They stepped onto the ice only to have Henry immediately fall, dragging Hotch and JJ with him. Their laughter caused Henry to join in and Jack to skate around them bewildered.

"You're not suppose to fall down," Jack admonished.

"Sometimes, son," Hotch replied, helping JJ and Henry to stand, "falling is the best part." He grinned when he caught JJ blushing.

Jack sighed. "If you're just gonna fall, I'm going to skate by myself."

Hotch grabbed his hand. "Oh, no, you don't, mister. We're skating as a family."

"Yep. All for one and one for all," JJ added, chuckling. She shot Hotch a look when Jack sighed again, but felt her heart buoy when he ceased complaining. JJ glanced around the ice rink. Reid and Lauren were deep in conversation as they circled the rink holding hands. Weber was chatting up a new group of girls. Morgan was attempting to coax Anna away from the wall she had a death grip on. "Looks like Anna's having some problems skating, too."

"Dad, can we please go faster?" Jack whined after a few circles. "This is boring."

JJ pulled them all to the side. "Tell you what: why don't you and I skate a little faster since I'm better than your dad here." She tossed Hotch a wink. "We can let your dad and Henry skate at their own pace."

Jack nodded, enthusiastically. He grabbed JJ's hand and pulled her away, barely shouting a wave good-bye. They skated for another half hour before JJ made them stop for a break.

"Hey, what do you say we stop and grab some hot chocolate?" JJ asked.

Jack scrunched up his face for a few moments, considering. "I want to keep skating for awhile. Can I go with Anna?"

JJ looked over to see Anna not far from them. She was a bit more steady on her feet than she had been. JJ nodded. "Okay, but only for a few minutes, then I want you back here." She laughed as Jack sped off.

"All by yourself?" Morgan asked her as he joined her at a small table near the rink.

"Apparently, hot chocolate is just not as much fun as skating," JJ replied, taking a sip out of one of the cups on the table. "What are you doing here?"

"Bathroom break."

JJ nearly choked on the sip. "So, did Rossi really call you about Anna?"

Morgan shifted, uncomfortably. "Not exactly. It was that Weber kid. He wanted to make sure that she had some back-up in case things got tense with the crowd. He asked me not to tell Anna it was him, though. He's actually a decent guy."

"If you ignore the womanizing, anyway," JJ countered.

"Not everyone can be a smooth operator like me."

"Of course," JJ replied, sarcastically. She stood as Jack skated in front of them alone. "Where did Anna go?"

Jack shrugged, pointing to the other end of the rink. "Over there."

Both JJ and Morgan turned to see Anna amongst a crowd of skaters, her eyes closed as she concentrated on staying upright, seemingly too petrified to also move forward.

"I got her," Morgan assured JJ. He skated expertly through the crowd, touching Anna's shoulder when he stood in front of her. She jumped, but kept her eyes shut. Morgan leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Anna, it's Derek. I'm going to put my arms around you and get you our of here, just like the dance floor. Okay?"

Anna nodded, but didn't respond. She put her arms around his waist and drew in close. Morgan carefully maneuvered them to the rink wall and then back to JJ and Jack.

"Are you okay?" Morgan asked her, pulling away just far enough to see her face.

Her bottom lip quivering, she shook her head as she looked up at him. He shot a look at JJ, who quickly dragged Jack away to look for Hotch and Henry.

"How can I help?" Morgan asked simply.

"Can I-" Anna bit her bottom lip, her chest heaving. "Can I just hug you for a little while?"

Morgan nodded, bringing Anna to him once again. He lost track of how long he held her trembling body. He startled when she began to speak.

"My therapist said that my old habits would start coming back. I just didn't expect it to be so quickly," she told him, her arms tightening around his waist.

"You're still seeing the therapist?" He didn't really believe she had stopped, but was trying to keep her talking.

Anna nodded. "Five days a week." She glanced up at him. "My choice." Anna pulled away from him slightly. "She says I have to get back to where I was to heal the old hurts. She'll probably see this as progress."

Morgan grimaced when a loud group of teenagers passed by and Anna suddenly threw herself back in his arms. "Hey, Sunshine. It's going to be okay."

"Sunshine," she breathed, amused as that was the last nickname she imagined someone giving her. "You know, I always felt safe in your arms. I should have told you that."

Morgan gazed down at her, his mouth slightly opened as he studied her sincerity. She merely returned his stare, even as he saw a blush appear on her cheeks. "What do you say we go somewhere and talk for awhile?"

She smiled. "I'd like that."

Morgan pulled her close again. He brought her to a bench to remove their skates and put on their boots. He kept her at his side as he waved good-bye to JJ and Weber, letting them know he was taking care of her.

"What happened to Anna?" Reid asked, bringing Lauren over to JJ and Jack.

"She had an... episode," JJ explained, covertly, glancing at Jack. Reid nodded his understanding. "I think she'd appreciate it if you called her later, though."

Reid gave her a small smile as he thought it over. "I just may do that."

Lauren squeezed Reid's hand. "We're going to head out. There's a poetry reading that I'd like to go to and Spencer has graciously offered to escort me. It was good seeing you again."

"You, too. See you in a few days, Spence." JJ watched as Reid and Lauren left and Hotch and Henry filled their spot. "How's it going?"

"I think Henry's had enough," Hotch told her.

Henry nodded. "My bum hurts."

"He fell down again," Hotch explained. "How does an afternoon of Christmas movies and pizza for dinner sound?"

"Yay!" Jack and Henry both shouted.

JJ laughed. "Sounds like we have a winner. Come here, Henry, and let me take off your shoes."

Henry shook his head. "No, Daddy do it."

Both JJ and Hotch froze at Henry's words long enough that Henry frowned at them. "Motch? Skates?"

"Yeah, I got them," Hotch agreed. He glanced at JJ as he removed Henry's skates. She looked as lightened as he felt as she helped Jack with his skates. It was a small slip-up on Henry's part and they still had a ways to go with reassuring both boys, but today, it felt like a major win.

JJ took Jack's hand and looped her arm through Hotch's. He held Henry in his other arm. "Let's go home."


	24. Of Sunshine and Fights

"Morning, Sunshine," Morgan said as Anna opened her eyes. They were laying in her bed where they had crashed after talking late into the night.

She smiled and rolled her eyes. "What is the deal with 'Sunshine'? You have never felt the need to call me that before."

Morgan tossed her a crooked grin. "You're not the only that has been thinking about things they might have done differently if they had the chance."

"And your thing to have done differently would be to call me 'Sunshine'?" she deadpanned.

"Oh, ha-ha, smartass," Morgan replied. He laid his head on his hand, his elbow on the bed, so that he could look down at her. His eyes grew serious. "I should have told you about all the joy that you brought into my life instead of harping on all the things that made me unhappy."

Anna skirted her eyes away. "I-"

He silenced her by placing a finger on her lips. "You didn't make me unhappy. My own unrealistic goals of what I thought our relationship should look like made me unhappy."

"I should have let you in more."

"And I should have been more understanding," Morgan countered, "but we're just rehashing what we went over last night. Let's just agree to be friend going forward. Deal?"

Anna took his hand and shook it. "Deal."

Their hands were still pressed together when Rossi burst through the door. "Anna, do you know why there's a car- Oh." He stopped suddenly when he realized Morgan was in the bed. "What's going on here?"

"We're talking," Anna replied, smartly, an eyebrow raised.

Rossi folded his arms. "And that requires you being in bed?"

"Whoa," Morgan started, but was stopped by Anna saying, "Dave, I'm in my pajamas. He's still in his clothes from yesterday. I'm under my covers and he has a blanket thrown over him. I don't know about you, but I need a few less layers to do what you're not so subtly accusing us of doing."

Anna smirked. "Besides, if we're going to talk about overnight guests..."

"Okay, okay!" Rossi shouted, throwing his hands up. "I'm going to grab bagels if you're interested."

"See if they have any pumpkin cream cheese." Anna smiled sweetly at him.

Rossi turned towards Morgan. "I suppose you're staying for breakfast, too."

Morgan smiled. "Don't mind if I do."

They both burst into laughter when Rossi stalked out of the room. Morgan looked at her, his eyes sparkling. "So, just who has been spending the nights here with Rossi?"

"If you tell anybody, I'll kill you," Anna threatened. Morgan nodded his agreement. "Emily."

He let out a low whistle. "I thought we were making that whole weird tension up."

"I don't know what they are exactly. Sometimes, she stays here; sometimes, she doesn't. Sometimes, she's in a guest room; sometimes, she isn't. They certainly don't act like a couple when they're around me."

"Ooh, a mystery," Morgan cooed.

Anna nodded. "But one I'm not too eager to solve. I'm done interfering with other people's relationships."

Morgan tapped her nose. "You may be taking a break from interfering, Little Miss Sunshine, but you'll be back. It's what you do."

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"Jack won't play," Henry announced sadly, walking into the living where Hotch and JJ were sitting on the couch, watching a Redskins game.

"He won't?" JJ questioned, softly, picking him up and holding him on her lap.

Henry nodded. "Jack said he no play with babies. I not a baby."

Hotch sighed. He brushed the hair across Henry's forehead as he stood up. Hotch walked to the doorway of the living room and called for Jack.

"Yeah?" Jack said when he reached the living room.

"Did you call Henry a baby?" Hotch asked him.

Jack glared at Henry. "Tattletale!"

Henry burst into tears. "I not a tattle!"

"Yes, you are, you stupid baby!"

"Jack Hotchner, that's enough!" Hotch shouted. "Apologize to Henry right now."

Jack's face grew red as anger boiled up from within him. "No!"

"Jack!" Hotch threatened.

"No, I won't! And you can't make me!" He turned and fled up the stairs. "I hate it here! I don't want to live with them anymore! I hate them! And I hate you!"

"Jack!' Hotch shouted. "Jack Alexander Hotchner, get back here!"

JJ jumped up from the couch and ran to stand in front of Hotch when he made to move to the stairs, Henry still in her arms. She placed a hand on his chest. "Hotch, stop." She gave him a reassuring smile when he looked at her with questions in his eyes. "You're too angry right now to talk to him. You'll just make things worse."

Hotch rubbed his face. "He can't just talk to Henry like that. I don't care how mad he is at you and I, that's completely unacceptable!" Hotch's voice was beginning to rise again. "He has been brought up with more respect than that! He-"

"Stop, Motch," Henry commanded, imitating his mother by placing his hands on Hotch's chest. "No angry."

Hotch smiled, leaning over and kissing Henry's forehead. "I'll try not to be angry."

JJ bit her bottom lip. "Maybe we can get Anna to talk to-"

"No!" Hotch interrupted forcefully. "We said that we weren't going to lean on Anna anymore and we can't. We're his parents. We can figure this out ourselves with Anna."

"You're right," she agreed. She shifted Henry in Hotch's arms. "Let me go talk to him. You're still too angry."

He frowned. "I'm not-"

"Your eyes are flashing with anger," JJ replied. "I'll go talk to him. You keep an eye on Henry."

JJ walked up the stairs with a heavy heart. She had absolutely no idea what she was going to say to Jack, how she was going to fix this. But she knew she couldn't send Hotch up; it would only make things worse.

"Jack?" she called out softly, knocking on his bedroom door. "Can I come in?"

"Sure," he agreed after a few moments of silence.

JJ walked in to find Jack sitting on his bed. He was smashing cars together, a stuffed animal on his lap. She sat down gingerly on the edge of the bed. "Hi."

Jack looked up at her, curious. "Hi."

"You want to tell me what happened with you and Henry?" She tried to keep voice light.

"No." Jack sighed when she continued to stare at him. "Henry wouldn't leave me alone. He came into my room without asking. He tried to touch my toys. I told him to leave, but he wouldn't."

"And you thought the best way to handle it was to call him a 'baby'?"

"Yes!" he shot back, stubbornly. He sighed again. "No. But he wouldn't leave me alone. I didn't want to play with him. I don't want to play with him ever."

JJ was taken aback by the anger that the six-year-old was spewing. "Why? You've always gotten along with Henry before."

Jack's eyes narrowed. "Well, that was before."

"Before?" She asked, finally feeling like she was getting somewhere.

"Before; when he was like my brother."

JJ felt her heart constrict. "And he's not like you brother now?"

Jack shook his head. "No, it's just me and my dad and that's it."

"Jack," JJ breathed out. "We're your family: Henry and I as well as your dad. You know that, right?"

"No, you're not." He folded his arms and turned his head away from her to hide the tears in his eyes. "If we were family, you wouldn't have left me. If Henry and I were brothers, you would have taken me, too."

JJ covered her mouth to stop the sob in her throat. It was so easy to forget just how bright, how old in his thinking, Jack could be. She and Hotch had foolishly believed that all Jack and Henry needed was time to let things get back to normal, but sitting in front of her was proof that there was much more going on in Jack's head; issues that wouldn't be solved with just time.

"Jack," she tried again. "I know you're mad at me and mad at your dad for what happened, but you shouldn't take that out on Henry. He just loves you; wants to be just like you." JJ reached and grabbed his hands, forcing him to look at her. "I love you and I know it's hard to understand, but Henry and me leaving had nothing to do with you. Your dad and I had an argument-"

"I know," Jack interrupted, pulling his hands free. "And I know why. It's all my fault."

JJ froze. "Why do you think it's your fault?"

The tears that had been threatening fell down Jack's face. "Because I asked Daddy if I could call you Mom" and it made him mad. Daddy left and you took us to Uncle Spencer's that night. I know you fought because I shouldn't call you 'Mom' even though Henry called Daddy 'Daddy' because you're not really my mom."

"Oh, Jack," JJ cried, pulling him into a hug, holding tightly. "I didn't know that you asked your dad that. I didn't know. Your dad never told me. That's not what we fought about, I promise."

"It's not?" Jack asked, looking for reassurance.

She kissed his temple. "No. I love you just like you're my son. Your daddy knows that, too, and he loves that we love each other."

Jack sniffled, pulling back to look at her. "Really?"

"Really." She brushed the tears away from his eyes. "Do you want me to talk to your dad about you calling me 'Mom'?"

"No," he replied, softly. "JJ, I'm sorry that I called Henry a baby and told him that he couldn't play with me anymore."

JJ smiled. "I know you are, but I think you should tell him, don't you?" Jack nodded. "I'll send him up here."

"Okay," Jack agreed. He stopped her when she reached the doorway. "I love you."

"I love you, too." JJ's grin faded as she walked down the stairs. She was frowning by the time she reached the living where Hotch was holding Henry on his lap, watching the game.

Hotch looked at her with a guarded expression, trying to figure out what happened. "How'd it go?"

JJ waited a heartbeat, then two, before answering. "Henry, why don't you go upstairs and play with Jack? He wants to tell you that he's sorry."

"Okay," Henry readily agreed, hopping down. He ran up the stairs calling for Jack.

"What's going on, JJ?" Hotch asked, cautiously.

JJ licked her lips, taking a step forward. "Did you know that Jack thinks that my leaving was all his fault?"

Hotch stopped. "Not specifically, but it's not surprising. Kids usually blame themselves when they're parents separate."

"Funny you should use the term 'parents'," she replied. "Jack thinks that we fought and I left because he asked you if he could call me 'Mom'."

"Oh, no," Hotch groaned.

Her eyes flashed. "When were you going to tell me this little piece of information? When were you going to tell me that Jack asked if he could call me 'Mom' and you told him no?"

Hotch felt anger grow on top of the dread in his stomach. "I didn't tell him no. I told him I didn't want to discuss it at the time!"

"Oh, well, then okay. That makes everything better!" JJ's hands were flailing wildly about now. "How could you not tell me about this? How could let that sweet little boy think that the reason we were fighting was because he wanted to call me 'Mom'? Wanted to call Henry his brother? Wanted to formalize this family of his?"

"In case you hadn't noticed," Hotch shot back, "I had other things on my mind! I was barely holding it together! I wasn't even sure that we should continue to be together, let alone 'formalize this family'."

JJ folded her arms over her chest. "And what about all the time since you begged me to come back? Maybe, you're still not sure! Maybe, that's why you haven't said anything about it! Maybe, you don't really want an us!"

Fear shudder through Hotch's body as the conversation spun further out of control. "That's not true. I do want-"

"Does Anna know?" JJ asked, suddenly. "Does Anna know that Jack asked to call me 'Mom'?"

"Yes, but-"

She threw her hands in the air. "Of course, she does!"

Hotch growled. "I didn't tell her! Jack did!"

Sitting at the bottom of the stairs, listening to the fight, Henry whispered to himself, "Anna! Anna fix."

He ran quietly up the stairs, past Jack, who was listening intently from the hallway, and into his mother's bedroom where her phone was charging. He pressed a few buttons, but was unable to get a call through. He sighed, frustrated. "I find Unc Dave's house."

With determination, Henry ran down the stairs, a few feet behind Jack, who had had enough with the fight between Hotch and JJ. Jack stormed into the living room. He stood between JJ and Hotch with his arms outstretched.

"Stop!"

"Jack, honey," JJ started.

Jack shook his head, violently. "I'm sorry! I don't want to call JJ 'Mom'. I just want to call her 'JJ'. I won't ask again and I won't talk to Anna anymore. I promise! Just please stop fighting!"

JJ grabbed him, pulling him into her arms. She rocked him slightly as he cried against her stomach. "Jack, your dad and-" She stopped when she heard the front door slam. "What was that?"

"Jack, where's Henry?" Hotch asked him.

"He was upstairs last time I saw him," Jack sniffled.

Hotch took off outside, shouting for Henry. JJ ran upstairs just to double-check. They met downstairs in the hallway after a few minutes.

"I can't find him outside," Hotch admitted, fear lacing his voice.

"He's not upstairs. He's not anywhere," JJ told him. She held up her phone. "He was playing with my phone."

Hotch turned towards Jack, who was standing wide-eyed in the doorway. "Jack, where would Henry have tried to go?" He took a step forward when Jack just shook his head. "Jack, I need to you think about where Henry would have gone. Answer me, son!"

"Hotch, stop!" JJ ordered, standing in between the two. She pulled Jack to her. "You're scaring him. Go look for Henry outside. I'll start going everyone."

Hotch nodded, curtly, before heading back outside. Holding tightly to Jack, she maneuvered them to the couch. JJ began to make phone calls to the rest of the team while Jack clung tightly to her.

"Oh, honey!" Garcia exclaimed when she crashed through the door, Kevin hot on her heels. She sat beside JJ, throwing her arms around her and Jack. "Don't worry. We'll find him. He's probably just playing in a neighbor's yard."

"We were fighting, Pen," JJ said, mutely. "We were fighting and I didn't even notice that my little boy got out of the house. Now, he's out there somewhere and it's cold and we don't know where he is. What if-"

"Stop, Jayje. We'll find him. We will." Garcia sat up, straightening her shoulders. "Kevin, sweetie, can you go wait for the others? Tell them to meet in the dining room to coordinate a search."

JJ put her hand in her hands, shutting her eyes tightly as she concentrated on not reliving past cases. She was vaguely aware of Jack's tiny body pressed against her, of the others arriving, of the commotion going on around her. Through it all, her eyes remained closed. Somewhere, it entered her consciousness that the house that only moments before had been filled with noise was now nearly silent.

"JJ?" Anna said, quietly. She sat down on the coffee table, touching JJ's knee to get her attention. "Penelope organized everyone into groups to search the area. I think she recruited the entire neighborhood."

"She's good at that," JJ murmured, the ghost of a smile gracing her lips. JJ's eyes flickered briefly to Anna's before skirting away. "We were fighting."

Jack let out a watery sighed. "It was all my fault."

JJ's eyes grew wide. "No, Jack, no. It's not your fault." She looked back at Anna, rubbing her hand over Jack's back to sooth him. "I just found out that Jack had asked Hotch if he could call me 'Mom'."

"He didn't tell you?" Anna asked in disbelief.

"No," she replied.

Anna licked her lips. "I can imagine how it escalated from there."

JJ opened her mouth to say more, but was stopped by Garcia bursting into the living room. "They found him! Reid and Lauren! He was just hopping down the street!"

"Oh, thank God!" JJ exclaimed, jumping up to hug Garcia.

"I've got to call everyone back."

JJ began to follow her. "I'll help."

The front door opened and Reid walked in carrying a bubbling Henry in his arms. "Mama! Mama, Unc Spence gimme piggy back ride!"

"Henry!" JJ whispered, tears welling up again. She took him from Reid and held him tightly. "You scared Mama. You are not suppose to leave the house without an adult!"

"I sorry, Mama," Henry told her, patting the back of her head.

The door opened again and Hotch ran in. He exhaled audibly before wrapping his arms around JJ and Henry. He dropped repeated kisses onto both of their heads. "I'm so glad you're okay, Henry. So glad."

JJ looked up to find that Rossi, Morgan, Prentiss, and Morgan had joined them. "Thanks, everyone, for helping to look for Henry."

"Henry!" Jack screeched, suddenly. He stopped over to JJ, Hotch, and Henry, stunning the rest of them into silence. "You're not suppose to leave by yourself! You made Mommy cry and Daddy yell!"

"I sorry," Henry pouted.

Jack folded his arms, his face red with anger. "Where were you going?"

Henry sighed. "I gonna find Anna." He missed the groan from Anna as she stood behind Jack. "Anna fix Mama and Daddy. They no fight anymore."

"Henry," Anna said patiently. She walked forward and took Henry from JJ. She set him on the ground and knelt down in front of him, ignoring the eyes on her. "I can't fix anything because there's nothing to fix. Adults fight sometimes and it's okay as long the adults remember that little ears hear everything." She glanced up to see JJ and Hotch looking away, slightly abashed.

"We should probably get out of here and let these guys get back to their evening," Rossi suggested. He walked over and hugged Henry. "No more trying to fix things, okay, slugger?"

Henry nodded. "Okay, Unc Dave."

In quick succession, Reid, Lauren, Morgan, Prentiss, Kevin, and Anna hugged the boys good-bye and made their way to the porch. Garcia hung back just a bit, hugging JJ. "Call me if you need anything."

"Thanks, Pen," JJ told her, "for everything."

Garcia smiled before heading out the door herself. "So, anyone in the mood for a pizza?"

Reid glanced at Lauren who nodded. "We're in."

"Me, too," Prentiss agreed. She glanced at Rossi, who shrugged before looking at Anna. Knowing Rossi wouldn't go without Anna, she asked, "Anna, what about you?"

"Uh, actually, I think I'm just going to head home," she replied. "Another time."

Rossi bit back a sigh. "Okay, I take you back."

Anna started to protest, but was cut off by Morgan. "You know, Rossi, I don't mind taking her home. I don't really want to grab pizza."

"If you're sure?" Rossi was torn between taking Anna home to keep her away from Morgan or spending time with Prentiss. Both Anna and Morgan nodded. Anna sent him a pointed look, too. "Okay, I guess I'll see you at home later."

"Shall we?" Morgan asked, offering his arm to Anna. She shook her head, but took it. They walked in the opposite direction of everyone else. "That was hard for you in there, huh? To not step in and really try to fix it?"

Anna nodded, not trusting her voice. Morgan stopped abruptly, swinging her in his arms. Anna buried her head into his chest, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Come on," Morgan said after a few minutes. "Let's get you home. We can talk in front of that big fireplace of Rossi's."

Anna chuckled, but her thoughts turned to Hotch and JJ.

"Are they all settled in?" Hotch asked JJ later that night.

JJ turned slightly towards him from her position in Henry's bedroom doorway. "Yeah. Jack insisted on sleeping with Henry. He said he needed to make sure that Henry stayed where he was suppose to."

Hotch smiled. "He's a good kid. We had a long talk about my yelling at him. I apologized. I think he forgave me."

"He did. He knows you were just scared about Henry," JJ assured him. "We had a talk while he was getting ready for bed."

He took a deep breath. "Can we talk?"

"Sure," she agreed. She took his hand and let him lead her to her bedroom. She sat down on her bed, pulling him down next to her.

"I'm sorry," Hotch told her. He kept a hold of her hand like a lifeline. "I should have told you about Jack. I shouldn't have hidden it. I- I was afraid to bring it up after you came back home. I didn't want you to hate me for hiding it from you."

JJ sighed. "I don't hate you, not for hiding that, not for anything. I should have let you explain before jumping down your throat. And I shouldn't have slapped you with the Anna card. That was unfair to you and to her. I'm sorry."

Hotch ducked his head. "We're all going to have to learn to do things without Anna."

"That's the thing: I don't want the boys to learn that. I like that they have someone to go to outside of you and I. I had that growing up with my aunt Moira."

"You're really going to have to clarify for me what we should and shouldn't take to Anna," Hotch said, confusion in his voice.

JJ took a deep breath. "The boys should feel like they're allowed to talk to Anna about anything, but if one of us learns about what they talked to Anna about, then we should tell the other. As far as you and I, things need to stay between us," she told him. "That doesn't mean we can't talk to Anna about things; we should just talk to each other first."

"I agree."

"You should have told me, Hotch," JJ reiterated, "especially after you knew that Anna knew."

Hotch nodded. "I should have."

She squeezed his hand. "Is there anything else that you should have told me?"

"I would love for Jack to call you 'Mom', but I want us to get stronger before then," he admitted.

"I agree, but I think it's time to tell the boys about us," JJ countered. She smiled flirtatiously, having had enough seriousness for one day. "I don't want to have to steal my kisses anymore."

Hotch blushed, but kissed her, lingering as he relished the feel of her lips. "I've missed this."

JJ cocked her head to one side. "Missed our kisses? I mean, I know we haven't done a lot of it lately, but-"

"No, not that," Hotch rushed to say. "I mean, this fun thing between us. It's been a long time since we've let loose."

"Oh, we haven't begun to let loose yet," she promised before pushing him down on the bed and hovering over him, letting all painful thoughts leave for the evening.

They could stay away for another day.


	25. Of Mothers and Fathers

"Let go!" Henry ordered. He was in the hallway struggling against Jack, who was trying to pull him back to his bedroom. "I wanna see Mama!"

"No, Henry!" Jack protested. "Your mom is still sleeping. Go back to bed!"

With a huff, Henry pushed Jack as hard as he could and darted past him. He flew into JJ's bedroom and leapt onto the bed much to the surprise of both JJ and Hotch, who were tangled together. "Morning, Mama!"

"Henry!" JJ gasped, sitting up. She threw her arms across her chest before remembering that she was wearing Hotch's shirt.

"Morning!" Henry said, gleefully, snuggling in between the two.

JJ rolled her eyes as she looked at Hotch, who was battling to clear the sleep fog from his brain. "Looks like someone forgot to lock the door last night.

Hotch frowned as he angled himself against the headboard, pulling Henry onto his lap. "At least, I made sure that we put clothes back on before passing out."

"Dad?" Jack asked from the doorway. He had been quietly taking in the scene. "Why are you in JJ's bed?"

JJ and Hotch cringe in sync. She held her hands out to Jack, who shuffled over to her. "We have something to tell you guys."

Hotch turned his attention to Jack, too. "JJ and I have decided to, um, we've decided to see each other."

"I see you," Henry giggled, looking up at Hotch.

"What do you mean, 'see each other'?" Jack questioned, his eyes moving between the two adults.

Hotch took a deep breath. "We're, uh, dating, Jack."

Jack tilted his head. "Like Uncle Spence and Miss Lauren?"

"Yes!" JJ exclaimed, a bit too excitedly. "Just like that."

"But what does that mean?"

She swung his hands that were still grasped in hers. "It means that we're going be spending some time together alone without you guys. It means that you might catch us kissing or holding hands or-"

Jack raised his eyebrows. "Sharing a bed?"

"Well, ah," JJ glanced back at Hotch for help, but all he did was shrug. "What do you think about that, Jack?"

"I don't know," he told her. Jack grew quiet for a moment. "Do you love each other?"

Hotch placed his hand on JJ's lower back as he moved towards Jack. "Very much."

"Are you getting married?"

"Not... anytime soon," JJ assured him. "And we'll have lots of talks with you and Henry if we ever get to that point." She waited a bit for him to ask another question, but Jack simply studied the two of them. "What are you thinking, Jack?"

Jack shrugged. He stared at the floor, his chin to his chest. "Can I call Anna?"

JJ was surprised by the relief that flowed through her. "Of course, you can. You can talk to Anna whenever you'd like."

"Daddy, I hungry," Henry told Hotch, breaking the tension in the room.

"Pancakes?" Hotch asked. Henry nodded. "With blueberries?" Again, Henry nodded. "Are you going to help me?"

"Yeah!" Henry shouted, jumping up. He grabbed Hotch's arm to try to pull him out of bed.

Hotch chuckled as he got out of bed. "What about you, Jack? Do you want to help?"

Jack shook his head. JJ smiled at him. "Why don't you use my phone to call Anna while I take shower and your dad and Henry make breakfast?"

"Okay." Jack took the phone and scrambled down the hall. He stuck his tongue out of the side of his mouth as he concentrated on the phone, remembering the steps to call Anna.

"Noise!" Anna muttered, flailing her arm in the direction of her nightstand. She smacked Morgan's chest during the move.

"Ow!" he whined, waking up. Wrapping one arm around Anna to pull her close to him, he used his free hand to answer the phone. "Hello?"

There was silence on the end of the phone for a few moments before Jack asked, "Who is this?"

Morgan struggled to keep his eyes open and his head clear. "Who's this?"

"It's Jack," Jack replied. "Is Anna there?"

"Oh, Jack. Sorry, I didn't recognize your voice. Hold on just one second." Morgan nudged Anna, carefully dodging the punch Anna sent his way. "Down, Sunshine. It's Jack."

Anna grabbed the phone and sat up. "Jack? Is everything okay?"

Jack nodded, though she couldn't see it. "My dad and JJ are dating."

"Did they tell you that?"

"Yes. They were sleeping in JJ's bed and Henry ran in there and woke him up even though I told him not to go in there," Jack told her.

Anna stifled a laugh. She glanced at Morgan. "So, what happened when you guys caught your dad and JJ in her bed?"

Jack sighed. "They said that were going to be spending time alone together and kissing and holding hands."

"And you don't want them to?" she asked, gently.

"I don't know." He hesitated to say more.

Anna bit her bottom lip. "You used to want your dad and JJ to be together, to get married."

Jack beat his fist against the bed in a soothing rhythm. "Yeah, but..."

"But, now, you're scared because of what happened when JJ and Henry went to stay with Uncle Spencer."

"Yeah," he admitted. "What if she leaves again?"

Anna closed her eyes as she felt tears well up. Her voice was low when she spoke again. "I can't promise you that your dad and JJ will stay together. Nobody can promise you that. What I can tell you is that JJ loves you just like she's your mom and there's nothing that can happen to change that."

Again, he sighed. "But, she didn't take me with her like she took Henry."

"She did take you the first night," Anna countered, "but she couldn't keep you because you had to stay with your dad. She called you every night, didn't she?"

"Yeah."

"And she saw you as often as she could, right?" Anna pushed him.

Jack grinned. "Yeah, and she told me that she loved me all the time."

"Well, there you go. It's a good-" Anna jumped when Rossi walked into her room. "Hold on a sec, Jack." She covered the phone to muffle the sound. "Before you even start, Dave, yes, Derek and I are sharing a bed, but we are both, once again, fully clothed, and nothing happened."

"I-" Rossi growled. "I just wanted to know if you would like some breakfast."

Anna smirked. "We would love some."

Morgan chuckled as Rossi turned and marched out of the room. "You really love to push his buttons."

"I have to do something to stay entertained." She turned her attention to Jack. "Sorry, about that, HJ. Uncle Dave was just seeing if I wanted some breakfast."

"You and Mr. Derek?" Jack sang into the phone.

Anna blew out a long breath. "Yes. Mr. Derek stayed to help me sleep."

Morgan rubbed her back as Jack asked, "Like JJ does when I'm sick?"

"Just like it." She paused. "So, are you feeling better?"

"Yeah. I'm going to go help Daddy and Henry with breakfast now. Bye, Anna! I love you!" Jack hung up the phone before she had a chance to respond. He skipped down the stairs and into the kitchen. Henry was sitting on the counter watching Hotch finish up the bacon and pancakes.

Jack snatched a piece of cut up fruit from a plate. "Can I help?"

Hotch pointed to the dishes on the table. "I'm almost done cooking, but you can set the table."

"Okay," Jack agreed, readily, surprising Hotch with his eagerness.

"That smells delicious!" JJ exclaimed, entering the kitchen. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Hotch shrugged. "Not really. We're almost done."

"You can help me," Jack offered, holding out a cup to JJ. He hugged her when she took it from him. "I'm glad you and Daddy are dating."

JJ held him tight. "That must have been some conversation that you had with Anna."

Jack nodded. "Mr. Derek was in bed with Anna, but she told Uncle Dave that they were just sharing and not doing anything. She said that Mr. Derek helped her sleep like you help me sleep when I'm sick. What else would they do in bed?"

"Wrestle," JJ deadpanned. "They could wrestle in bed and Uncle Dave doesn't like that."

"Oh," Jack said, nodding. He returned to the table.

"Nice save," Hotch whispered, walking past her to put a plate of pancakes on the table.

JJ slapped his butt as went to grab Henry. "Just remember who's the wrestling champ in this house, buddy."

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"Heyyyyy, Morgan!" JJ called out, cheerfully as she got off the elevator.

Morgan hung his head. He had been hoping to get to his office without being caught by her. "Morning, JJ."

JJ nearly bounced on her feet. "So, I hear you had an interesting sleepover on Saturday night."

"I wouldn't call it interesting." He walked away from her quickly, only to find her following him.

"Really? You wouldn't call spending the night in your ex-girlfriend's bed interesting?" JJ bugged him.

Morgan turned around abruptly and hissed, "She's my friend and she had a rough night so I stayed to make sure she was okay. There's nothing more to it than that."

She patted his arm, patronizingly. "Sure. Keep telling yourself that."

"Hey, don't you have a boyfriend to go bother or something?" Morgan attempted to redirect.

"He took the day off," JJ replied, solemnly. "It's the, uh, anniversary of Haley's... you know..."

Morgan grimaced. "I should have realized. How's Jack?"

She shrugged. "He hasn't said much. We decided to let him come to us."

"How long is Hotch going to let that go?" Morgan asked with a smirk.

"I'm going to say about lunch time." JJ laughed as she walked away. She was nearly to her office when her cell phone rang. "Hello?"

Hotch hesitated, taking a deep breath. "Jack won't talk to me."

JJ frowned. "What do you mean?"

"He just wanders from his room to the living room to back again. He grunts an answer if I ask him a yes or no question, but that's it. Last year, he didn't talk about Haley a lot directly, but he did talk. I'm worried."

"Well, he has had a hard time lately. Maybe, he's just had enough of talking." She sighed when Hotch didn't respond. "I wasn't really buying that either."

"Do you think it would be okay if we had him call Anna?" Hotch asked, timidly. "I mean, it seemed to help him yesterday."

JJ agreed nearly immediately. "No, I think you're right. Have him call her and then call me back." She hurried to her office where she began to pace waiting for a call back. She jumped when her phone finally rang. "Hotch?"

"No, it's Anna. Hold on." Anna fiddled with the phone for a minute. "Hotch, you there?"

He grunted his acknowledgment. "Did you talk with Jack?"

Anna rolled her eyes as she bit back a retort. "Yes. Guys, I'm not the one that Jack wants to talk to."

"Well, he doesn't want to talk to me," Hotch replied.

"Who does he want to talk to?" JJ asked.

Anna smiled. "He wants to talk to his mom... and I don't mean Haley."

JJ gasped. "He wants to talk to me?"

"Yep, so I suggest you head home." Anna quickly hung up the phone.

JJ let Morgan know she was leaving before hurrying home. She entered the house to find Jack laying on the couch staring out the french doors. Hotch was watching him from the chair.

Jack's head popped up when she entered the living room. "JJ? What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," she told him.

"Really?" he asked. When she nodded, Jack flew from the couch and into her arms. "Are you going to stay here all day?"

JJ nodded. "You, me, and your dad. I asked Olivia to keep Henry at Uncle Dave's until after dinner."

Jack let her lead him to the couch. He sat on her lap, leaning his head back against her chest. "JJ, do you think my mommy's in Heaven?"

"I do," JJ told him. She remembered Hotch mentioning Jack's obsession with Heaven last year.

"Do you think Mr. Will is there, too? And Anna's mom?"

She kissed his temple. "I think they're all up there watching over us. And if Anna's mom is anything like Anna, she's got your mom and Will sitting around a table, drinking iced tea, and telling jokes."

Jack's grin soon faded to a frown. "Do you think my mom's still afraid?"

"Afraid of what?"

"Of the bad man," Jack whispered. Out of the corner of his eye, Jack caught his dad stiffen.

JJ wrapped her arms tight around him. "No, my Jack. Up in Heaven, you're not afraid of anything. All she feels is love and joy and happiness. She misses you, but she's glad that you are safe and that you are loved. You know that you are loved, right?"

He bobbed his head up and down. "Do you remember the day my mommy died?"

She hesitated briefly before responding, "Yes."

"I... remember my mommy crying and I remember hiding in the box waiting for my daddy," Jack admitted. Both adults had their full attention on him.

"What else do you remember?" Hotch pushed, gently.

Jack took a deep breath. "I remember my JJ picking me up and holding me tight. I remember her telling me that my mommy loved me and that everything would be okay." He turned slightly so that he could look directly at her. "You told me that you would hold onto me until I told you to let me go."

"That's right," JJ croaked.

"I love you, JJ," Jack said, throwing his arms around her neck. "I don't want you to let me go."

"Never," she promised, clenching him close. "Never."

JJ gazed from the doorway as Jack slept hours later, curled up in his bed. They and Hotch had spent most of the day laying on the couch watching old home movies of Haley. Jack talked little else about the day his mother died, but asked for stories about her while she was alive. He seemed to be in good, if exhausted, spirits by the end of the day.

"Hey," Hotch mumbled, walking up behind her and causing her to jump. "Henry's down. I think he was a little out of sorts when he realized that the three of us spent the day together without him."

"We'll have to let Henry pick the next family activity," JJ offered in response.

Hotch wrapped his arms around her waist. "You should get to bed. It's been a long day."

"I will," JJ agreed, "in a little while. For now, I just want to watch him sleep."

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"Thank you for doing this," JJ told Anna as she headed towards the door. "I hope Olivia is able to get home tomorrow. She was so worried that we would be angry that she got snowed in and wouldn't be here today."

"She takes her work ethic very seriously," Anna replied. "But, honestly, I'm a little glad. I've missed watching the boys."

JJ smiled, wistfully. "Well, nothing's changed with their schedules; it's still on the board. If you need anything, you know how to get in touch with us."

Anna nodded, holding back a sigh. "I got it. I used to be pretty good at this, you know?"

"I'm driving you nuts, aren't I?"

"Yes," Anna said, honestly. They both laughed. "Seriously, JJ, I got this. I used to be pretty good at it."

JJ spontaneously hugged her. "I know. I'm sorry. I- We trust you. Seriously. We'll see you when we get back. Have a good time."

Anna stood at the door until JJ drove away. She turned to return to the living room where Henry was playing quietly when her cell phone ranging. This time, she let the eye roll free as she answered the phone, "What's up, Derek?"

"Hello, Anna," he replied. "We're heading to the plane now, but I have a big favor to ask you."

"What's up?" she repeated.

Morgan hesitated just a moment. "So, my dog walker is sick. She's probably going to be out all week. Do you think you could stop by my place and take Clooney for walks while we're gone? He usually goes three times a day."

Anna chuckled. "Not a problem. Henry and I will head over right now."

"Henry?"

"Olivia got snowed in on her big weekend away and since you guys are heading out of town, they asked me to baby-sit the boys," she explained.

"Good," he said, unable to keep the smile from his voice. "Do you still have a key or-"

"I still have a key. I got it covered. Go catch some bad guys. I'll see you when you get back." Anna quickly got off the phone and headed to the living room. "Hey, Henry. How would you like to go and walk Mr. Derek's dog?"

Henry nodded eagerly. He jumped up and got his coat on without fussing. They made their way to Morgan's place and walked an over-excited Clooney. Anna left Henry and the dog playing while she straightened up Morgan's kitchen, which had been neglected between work and spending time with her over the last few days. After a half hour or so, Anna realized she hadn't heard any noises. She went to investigate and found Henry and Clooney curled up together in the middle of Morgan's bed, fast asleep. Setting an alarm on her phone to get them up in a few hours, she slid in beside Henry. As the scent of Morgan enveloped her senses, she quickly followed Henry and Clooney into dreamland.

Olivia returned the next day while the team was still out on their case. Anna spent the next two nights, restless in her bed at Rossi's. She was tired and irritable as she took Clooney out for his last walk on the third day.

"Come on, Clooney," she begged. "Just get into the cage. I'm exhausted." Clooney stared up at her with his dark, brown eyes. "I know you're missing Derek, but he should be home tomorrow after their paperwork gets done." Anna's stomach clenched with guilt over leaving him there alone. "Okay, fine. You win. Besides, Derek's bed was the most sleep I've gotten all week. He'll never know. Let's go."

Anna slipped into a pair of Morgan's sweatpants and a t-shirt before crawling into his bed. Clooney laid at her feet. Within minutes, they were both snoring. It was several hours later when a hand on her shoulder startled her awake.

"What the hell!" Anna shouted, causing Clooney to growl at his master.

"Sorry," Morgan chuckled, throwing his hands up defensively.

Anna ran her hands over her face. "No, I'm sorry. I'm sure this wasn't what you were expecting when you got home."

Morgan sat down on the bed. "Can't say that it was. What are you doing here?"

"Honestly?" she sighed. "I haven't been able to sleep since Henry and I took a nap here earlier this week so I thought I would try sleeping here tonight to see if it would help."

"And did it?"

She nodded. "But I should go since you're home."

Morgan grabbed her arm to keep her in place. "It's late. Stay. It's not like we haven't shared a bed recently."

Anna hesitated for a few moments before nodding her head in agreement. She laid back down and closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of Morgan getting ready for bed. She had just drifted off when the bed dipped. Anna waited a beat before rolling over and burrowing into his chest. She breathed him in deeply before succumbing to sleep.

When she awoke the next morning, she was laying on her side with Morgan wrapped around her. He had one hand on her breast, held there by her own hand; his other hand lay above both of their heads. Morgan's nose was buried between her shoulder and neck. Anna turned slightly to look at him.

"Good morning," he told her, his voice husky with sleep.

"Morning," she whispered back.

Morgan brushed the hair away from her forehead. "How did you sleep?"

Anna smiled. "Amazing."

She reached up to trace her fingers along his face. He shuddered, shaking both of their bodies. She moved her hand behind his neck and pulled him until their lips met. She applied pressure until, with a moan, he opened up to her. Their kisses soon became hot and heavy as they drank each other in. Morgan moved his hand up to cup her face, causing Anna to break away.

"I'm sorry," Anna whispered, tears stinging her eyes. She jumped off the bed and set about gathering her clothes. "You deserve better than me."

"Anna-"

"I can't bring you don't to my level."

"Anna-"

"You're an amazing guy and you should have someone whole and worthy. I am so sorry."

"Anna!" Morgan called after her as she scrambled out of the room. He heard the front door slam a few seconds later. Morgan attempted to leap off the bed, only to get tangled in the sheets and fell to the floor. By the time he made it outside, Anna was gone with no indication of where.

Near frantic, Morgan called Rossi, and then Hotch, but neither had heard from her. He tried Reid next, but their resident genius didn't pick up. Vaguely, Morgan recalled that he was coming in late that morning to the office. Morgan dressed and hopped in the car, intent on going to Rossi's to group. His phone rang when he was nearly there.

"Reid's got her," Rossi said as soon as Morgan answered. Morgan let out a long sigh of relief. "He says she's upset, but she's fine. She keeps apologizing for not being the person that you need. What the hell happened?"

"I'm not really sure," Morgan confessed. He went on to explain how he found Anna in his bed and what had happened that morning. "I never meant to pressure her into anything. She initiated it all. I don't understand why she thinks she isn't worthy."

Rossi paused. "I'm going to send you an address. Meet me there as soon as you can."

Morgan frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Just do it," Rossi ordered.

"Rossi, what the hell is going on?" Morgan demanded, walking up to the address Rossi had given him. Hotch was standing next to him with the same confused look on his face as Morgan.

Rossi pursed his lips. "What I'm about to tell you, Anna doesn't want you to know. She's threatened to deny it if it ever becomes public."

Hotch growled. "Just spill it already, Dave."

"Anna's father was the one that hired Glenn Seligman to kidnap Anna and her mom in the first place."

"What?" Morgan shouted at the same time that Hotch howled, "Why?"

Rossi held up his hands. "Anna's mom threatened to go to the press about his treatment of the two of them if he didn't pay for her tuition for college. He did it to scare them; to show them he was the one in charge. The plan was to pay the kidnapper off after a few days, but Anna's grandmother got involved so he wasn't able to pay it off. Rather than admit what he did and who had kidnapped his daughter, he left them to... well, you know."

Morgan took a few steps away before coming back again. Anger burned in his eyes. "This is why she thinks she's not 'worthy'? Because her scumbag of a father wanted to prove his manhood?"

"Why are we here?" Hotch asked. Outwardly, he appeared calm, but the two men standing near him knew he was a powder keg.

"Because I happen to know that Theodore Kingston is working out of this building; has been for the last few weeks," Rossi replied.

Hotch glanced at Morgan, who nodded once. "Let's go."

They stormed into the building, bullying the security officers with their badges. They swarmed the meeting room where Theodore was holding court over the loud protests of his secretary. Morgan kicked the other employees out of the room and locked the door so only they, Theodore, and Anna's eldest brother, Teddy, remained.

"What is the meaning of this?" Theodore ordered.

"You don't get to demand anything," Morgan snapped. "You are an absolute waste of humanity."

Theodore stood, his eyes flashing. "I'll have your badge for this."

Rossi stepped forward. "The hell you will! See, we know exactly what you are. It's seems that your old pal, Glenn, was rather chatty the second time he kidnapped your daughter." Rossi's lips curled upward as Theodore's eyes widened. "He told her just why he had targeted her."

"What are you talking about?" Teddy asked, his eyes filled with questions.

"Your 'dear' father paid to have your sister and ex-stepmother kidnapped because he didn't want to pay for her college tuition; thought it was beneath him," Morgan spat out.

Teddy turned towards his father. "Is this true?"

Theodore shook his head. "Of course not."

"Oh, it's true," Rossi backed Morgan up. "He just hadn't planned on your grandmother getting involved and delaying payment."

"Father, what did you do?" Teddy hid his face with his hands.

Theodore huffed. "I didn't do anything," he sneered, "nothing you prove."

Hotch, who had been silent up to that point moved in front of Theodore. The fury on his face caused Theodore to shrink into his chair. "We don't have to prove anything. We just have take the accusation to the press and your company is done."

"What..." Theodore stumbled over his words. "What do you want from me?"

"I want you to retire. I want you to turn everything over to your children. I want you to leave the country and never return. If I hear of you even thinking about returning, you're done. Do I make myself clear?" Hotch's eyes bore into him.

"He'll do it," Teddy told them. He turned slightly green when his father protested. "I think you've done enough, Father. Amber likes Italy; it's time for you to retire there."

Knowing he was beaten, Theodore agreed. He waited for Hotch to move before put his head on the table in disgrace. Teddy looked at his father as if he was a disease.

"Tell Anna," Teddy paused, clearing his throat. "Tell Anna that she never has to worry about him again. Tell her... that I'm sorry I wasn't the big brother that I should have been. I should have protected her."

"Yes, you should have," Rossi said. Taking in Teddy's contrite stance, he added, "but I'll tell her."

Hotch stopped at the doorway as they filed out. "I'll be watching. He has one month to get out of the country. One."

Teddy nodded. "I understand." He breathed in deeply. "Agent Hotchner? I do love my sister and if she ever wants to rejoin the family, I'll welcome her with open arms. But in the meantime, I'm glad she has you. Can you tell her that, too?"

"I will." With that, Hotch was gone. He, Rossi, and Morgan left the building with a slight spring in their step and small grins on their faces. It was a hard revelation to hear and they were pretty sure that Anna would give them hell for interfering, but it felt good to do something, anything, to lighten her burden.


	26. Of Overcoming Pasts and Bright Futures

"So, then, we're all agreed," Rossi said as he, Morgan, and Hotch got off the elevator at the BAU. "Nobody tells Anna that we went to see her father."

"Agreed," Hotch confirmed.

Morgan sighed, pointing to Hotch's office. "Uh, guys, I think we might be a bit too late."

Hotch and Rossi looked up to see Anna staring down at them. Her lips were pursed and her blue eyes watched their every move. She gripped the railing as they walked up the stairs, but showed no other signs of outward distress.

"Can we talk in there?" she asked with a tone that left no room for argument. Without waiting for their consent, she marched into Hotch's office. She waited until Morgan had closed the door before speaking again. "So, I got an interesting call from my brother; my biological brother."

"Anna-" Rossi started.

She held up a single finger to stop him from speaking. "It seems that he wanted to apologize to me for what my father had done to me. I thought the timing was a little odd. I mean, why was he apologizing now for what my father had done – cutting me off as a child – when he had done that to all of us? I was just the one without a rich mother. So, I asked him. And imagine my surprise," her face flushed with anger, "when he wasn't apologizing about what happened after the divorce. He was apologizing for the fact that my father had me kidnapped! A fact, David Rossi, that only you and I knew!"

Rossi flinched. "Let me-"

"Explain? Let you explain why Hotch and Derek as well as Teddy now know something that I didn't want anyone to know? How about I explain to you that now Spencer and hisgirlfriend know because I was so caught off-guard by the whole thing that I launched into a thirty minute tirade while at his apartment?" Anna threw her arms in the air. She turned her head away from them and covered her mouth with her hands. After a few moments of silence, she turned back. "You kicked my father out of the country?"

"Look," Hotch started, hoping to keep her calm, "we can't change what happened to you. We can't go back and give you the father that you deserve, but we can take away his power. He's no longer the head of your family business. Your brother will make sure that he stays there. We can try to make you feel as safe as possible and that's what we were doing."

Morgan's eyes pleaded for understanding. "We were trying to help."

Anna sighed. "I know. It's the only reason that I haven't packed up and left."

"Kiddo, I really am sorry," Rossi told her. "I just was tired of watching you hurt over and over again and not being able to help. I thought that I could make it better this way. I thought... maybe Hotch and Morgan would understand why you've been... the way you've been for the last few months."

"Thank you," Anna said, softly, after a few moments of contemplation. She kissed each of their cheeks. "You're idiots. But at least, your hearts were in the right place." She turned to Hotch. "I know you're going to have to tell JJ, but if we could keep this from everyone else..." Anna paused, shaking her head. "Oh, hell. You might as well tell Penelope and Emily."

Hotch touched her shoulder, making sure that she saw the movement before he made contact. "I think it'll help if you get it all out in the open. I think you'll start to heal."

Anna give him a somber smile, not quite believing that to be true, but chose not to fight him anymore about it. After all the other things the team knew about her, she supposed this was just one more. This one, she thought, wasn't on her; it was on her father. Anna turned to Morgan. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure," he agreed with not a small degree of trepidation. They both turned to Hotch, who rolled his eyes.

"It is my office," Hotch informed them. He threw up his hands as Anna continued to stare at him before grumbling his way out the door.

Anna rubbed her hands together. "I want to a-"

"I'm sorry about this morning," Morgan interrupted. "I never should have pushed you into something you clearly weren't ready for."

"You're kidding, right?" she asked him. Morgan shook his head. "I'm the one that showed up in your bed wearing your clothes, completely uninvited. I'm the one that pulled you down for the kiss, that set the pace for making out. And I'm the one that freaked out on you. You didn't do anything to be sorry for."

Morgan tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "I just don't want you to think that you can't come to me when you need to. If you need a soft place to land, you can-"

Anna smirked as his voice trailed off and his face cringed. "Land on you? Is that what you were going to offer?"

"No-no, uh, no. That's, that's not what I meant," he stuttered. "I just-" He frowned when he noticed the mirth in her eyes. "I can't believe you're setting me up. I am trying to be sweet and supportive and you are setting me up."

"You're right; I was. But it felt nice to be normal for a change." Anna kissed his cheek for a second time. "Thank you, for last night, for this morning, for this."

"Always."

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"And they just left your office laughing?" JJ called out from her bathroom.

"Yep," Hotch replied. He stood against the doorway, his arms folded. He felt a wave of arousal sweep through him as he took in the scene before him.

JJ reached over to grab her glass of wine, nearly revealing her bubble-covered breast. She smacked her lips after taking a sip, well aware of the affect she was having on him. "You know, you can join me. You don't have to stay way over there."

Hotch tilted his head. "I'm rather enjoying the view from over here."

"Ah, but if you're all the way over there, you can't do this." She took one of her hands and ran it down her neck, over her chest before tweaking her left nipple.

"Once again, you make an excellent point." Hotch quickly stripped his clothes. He slipped into the bathtub behind JJ. He wrapped one arm around her waist to hold her body close to his and used the hand on his other to caress her soft skin.

JJ hummed in pleasure as she settled against him. "So, was she laughing because she's doing better or was she laughing to hide?"

Hotch kissed her neck. "I think she's doing better. It... felt different. Like she was freeing herself, not hiding. I asked Rossi and Morgan and they thought the same thing."

"That's good." She gasped as he settled on the sensitive spot just behind her ear. "Has Jack mentioned wanting to do another holiday party this year to you?"

"No," he murmured against her skin. He moved his fingers to her thighs, drawing patterns up and down them, causing her to squirm. "Has he said something to you?"

JJ shook her head. "I was waiting to taking the lead from him." She resettled so that his growing erection was nestled between her butt cheeks. "Do you think we should have one?"

Hotch rolled his eyes in bliss as JJ wiggled on his lap. "I think everyone had a good time last year, once we got past the mistletoe issue. It would be a nice tradition to get going."

"What if- Ooh!" JJ gasped suddenly as Hotch slipped through her folds. She bit her bottom lip to keep from shouting out as his thumb worked her clit. "What if we just keep it to the team?"

"We could do that," he agreed, his voice steady even as he kneaded her breasts. "It'll leave us with less to plan."

"Exac-Exac-Oh, hell!" She reached a hand up to roughly grab his head, bringing his lips to hers as he slipped two fingers inside of her. She kissed him openly, wantonly, her tongue hot against his as he spiraled ever closer to ecstasy. The water in the bathtub splashed close to the edge as JJ writhed in pleasure. She came hard, without warning, screaming his name. JJ collapsed against him, trying to regain her breath.

Hotch held her tight. He kissed her temple. "You are so beautiful., especially when you come. Thank you for letting me take you there."

She smiled, her eyes remaining closed. "Oh, no. Thank you. But you're going to have to carry me out of here. I don't think I can move."

"Oh, you better move," Hotch growled, pinching her nipples again. "I'm not done with you yet."

JJ staggered upward, groaning as she went. She grabbed one of the fluffy towels from the rack and used it dry herself off, making sure to go slow as Hotch's eyes were glued to her body from where he remained in the tub. She dropped the towel in front of the doorway, proudly displaying her nakedness.

"You have about two minutes before I'm starting round two all on my own." Her squeals rang out before she had time to make it to the bed as Hotch's body collided with hers. He spent the next several hours worshiping her body and having his worshiped in return.

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"Daddy?" Jack called out. He was standing in the doorway between the living room and the dining room, looking upward.

"Yes?" Hotch asked, poking his head out from the kitchen.

Jack pointed upward. "Where's the mistletoe?"

Hotch followed Jack's gaze, trying not to roll his eyes. "We were thinking that since it's just going to be the team here that we wouldn't do the mistletoe this year."

"But how else are we going to get Anna to kiss Mr. Derek?" Jack asked him.

"You're- JJ!" he shouted, deciding he needed reinforcements.

She came rushing down the stairs, pushing one earring through her ear. She looked from Hotch to Jack and back again. "What's going on?"

Hotch rubbed his hand over his face, moving towards the living room. "Our sons, or at least one of them," he clarified as Henry was sitting on the floor playing with some of his new toys and had yet to join in the conversation, "believe that we need mistletoe so that we can get Anna to kiss Morgan."

"Are you guys planning on opening your own matchmaking business?" JJ asked Jack.

"What's matchmaking?"

JJ shook her head. "Never mind. Who told you that Anna should kiss Mr. Derek?"

Jack shrugged. "Nobody. But Aunt Penny said that Mr. Derek still loves Anna, but that he didn't want to tell her because he wasn't sure that Anna loved him, too, but Uncle Kevin told her that he thought that Anna loved Mr. Derek, but was too scared to say so and that Aunt Penny didn't want to believe that it was true because she was still mad at Anna for breaking Mr. Derek's heart."

"I told you we shouldn't have let them baby-sit," Hotch smirked to JJ.

"They wanted to try it out," she replied, trying to defend herself, though inwardly she was coming up with ways to kill her best friend. JJ knelt down in front of Jack. "Do you remember all the talks we had about not being able to force grown-ups to do things?"

Jack nodded, solemnly. "But I'm not forcing them to do it. I just want to leave it up there in case they want to get stuck under it themselves."

JJ glanced up at Hotch. "He kind of has us there."

"Okay, I'll hang the mistletoe that Aunt Penny gave us, but I absolutely do not want you guys to try to get anyone to stand under it, okay?" Hotch ordered.

"Okay," Jack agreed. Satisfied, Hotch returned to the kitchen to finish with the food. Jack turned his attention back to JJ, who was hanging the mistletoe. "JJ? Do you think Anna loves Mr. Derek?"

She let out a long breath. She brought him to the couch and pulled him onto her lap. "I think she does, but I don't think she knows that she does. Anna... didn't always a lot of people telling her that they loved her when she was growing up."

Jack frowned. "Is that why she always tells me and Henry that she loves us?"

"I think it might," JJ conceded, once again marveling at his ability to piece things together far beyond his years. "So, I think that Anna doesn't always know when she loves someone as a boyfriend."

"Oh." He was quiet for a few moments. He turned around to look JJ in the eye. "I love you, JJ. I'm really glad you and Henry came back. I'm glad you love my dad."

"I'm really glad, too," she admitted, hugging him tight. She released him when the doorbell rang. "Ooh, looks like our first guests are here. Do you want to answer the door?"

Jack jumped up and raced to the door. He opened it to reveal Reid and Lauren. Just as he was about to close the door, Garcia and Kevin arrived. Garcia squealed over both boys in their matching green sweaters. Prentiss showed up next with Morgan right on her heels. Rossi and Anna were the last to make it.

"Anna, you look fabulous," Prentiss told her, taking in the blue wrap dress that she had on.

Anna blushed slightly, but threw her hand dramatically over her head. "Thank you! I gained five pounds recently."

Rossi wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Only about twenty more to go and the doctors will be content."

"So, who's staying sober to watch the boys this evening?" Garcia asked, sipping from the glass of wine that Hotch handed her. She brushed off the looks from the others. "I mean, I just assumed we were staying the night again. I brought a bag this time."

"So did I," Prentiss admitted after the room grew quiet.

Reid gave a small nod nod, his face turning red. "Us, too."

JJ looked at Hotch, who shrugged "Everyone's more than welcome to stay. We weren't sure after last year if you'd want to. But, I guess I-"

"I actually can't drink on my medication," Anna offered. "So, I'm more than willing to be the sober one."

"Daddy, what's sober?" Henry asked, finally bored enough with his toys to jumped into the conversation.

"It's a grown-up word," Hotch replied, automatically. "Nothing for you to worry about."

Garcia clapped her hands. "Well, now that we have that all settled, I'm starving. I'm going to go eat."

Henry scrunched up his face. "Aunt Penny's a handful, isn't she, Mama?"

"You have no idea, kid," Kevin whispered, conspiratorially, causing the others to laugh at Henry's confused look.

"How are you doing?" Lauren asked Anna, sitting down next to her on one of the couches. They both had plates of food they were trying to balance on their knees. "I haven't really had a chance to see you since-"

"My epic breakdown?" Anna offered with a grin.

Lauren blushed. "I was going to be polite and say since I've been at home with my family for the holidays but we can go with that."

Anna chuckled, glad that Lauren felt comfortable enough to make jokes at her expense. "I've been doing okay. I'm sleeping better, laughing more. I've even been watching the rugrats a bit more often." She nodded towards Jack and Henry, who both grinned. "It gets me out of the house, which I think Dave likes."

"So, can I ask you something?" Lauren asked, quietly, leaning her head towards Anna's. Her eyes flickered briefly to Rossi and Prentiss, who were talking in the corner. "What's the deal with those two?"

"Honestly? I have no idea." She grinned widely at Lauren's surprised face. "I thought I was secretive when it came to my life. I have nothing on those two. Sometimes, it seems like they're just friends, sometimes friends with benefits, sometimes more. I don't know. Now, what about you and my baby brother? He seems to think things went well with your family over Christmas."

"Well?" JJ interrupted, sitting on the other side of Lauren. "He hasn't stopped talking about your father and brother since he's come back."

Lauren ducked her head. "They seemed pretty enamored by him, too. He's the first boyfriend that I've brought home that wasn't intimidated by how brilliant my family is."

JJ shot Reid, who was standing with Morgan on the other side of the room, a big smile. "That's because he's pretty brilliant himself."

"JJ, is that a new bracelet?" Garcia asked, sitting on the coffee table. She grabbed JJ's wrist to take a closer look.

"Me and Henry and Daddy got it for her for Christmas," Jack announced, proudly. He pointed to one of the charms. "That's me. And that's Henry. And that's Daddy. And that's-"

JJ patted him on the shoulder to stop him from talking. "Jack, why don't you go get you and Henry something to drink?"

They giggled as Jack skipped off with Henry behind him. Garcia examined the bracelet further. "You know, I was expecting a ring."

"Penelope!" JJ admonished, looking around quickly to make sure Hotch hadn't overheard her. "We just go back together. I don't think we need to rush into anything."

"Why not? He loves you. You love him. You're all living together."

JJ sighed. "I'm just not in any hurry. I want to make sure that we're on more solid ground." She looked at Lauren, slyly. "Besides, I think if anyone is going to get engaged next, it should be Lauren."

Lauren choked on the stuffed mushroom she had been eating. "Me? We've only been together for four months."

"She has a point," Anna agreed. "Now, you and Kevin on the other hand…"

"…are perfectly fine the way we are." Garcia wagged a finger at Anna. "Don't you go rocking the boat or I'm going to start asking questions about all the time you and my other main squeeze have been spending together."

Reid eyed the ladies around the couch nervously as their laughter filled the air. "What do you think they're talking about?"

Morgan snickered. "I don't even want to think about it."

"Us, Reid," Hotch explained, walking with Kevin to the two of them. "They're talking about us. And making plans for the future that involve us."

"We don't get a say in it?"

Hotch, Morgan, and Kevin smirked at each other before Kevin replied, "Not usually."

Morgan clapped Kevin on the back. "Say, Kevin, exactly when are you planning on making an honest woman out of my Baby Girl, anyway?"

"As soon as she tells me to."

"Good answer," Hotch piped in.

Morgan raised his chin at Hotch. "What about you? When are you going to pop the question? I think we all know that's where you're heading."

Hotch shrugged. "I think we need to just relax and let things be for a while. You know, officially, we've only been together about four or five months."

"Yeah, well, UN-officially, it's been longer," Morgan countered. He let his gaze settle on Anna. "But I understand what you mean."

"So, you and Anna…"

Morgan held his hands up. "Strictly just friends. It's what she needs right now." Inwardly, he smiled to himself, glad that Anna hadn't pulled away from him after the incident with her father, but had, instead, seemed determine to make their friendship stronger. He turned to Reid. "I understand you guys have been hanging out more."

Reid's cheeks took on a crimson color. "We're trying to. She's almost back to her old self, but… different somehow. She's more open, more… vulnerable. I think I like this new Anna."

"Well, she gets along with Lauren and that's a good thing," Hotch said, bringing the conversation back to a lighter topic. "You do not want to get in the middle of your girlfriend and your sister."

"No," Morgan agreed, his eyes wide as he thought about some of his girlfriends when he was a teen. "You really do not."

"Don't want to do what?" Rossi asked, joining the group.

Reid cleared his throat. "Apparently, you don't want to get between your girlfriend and your sister."

Rossi whistle. "You absolutely do not. In fact, not sticking up for my wife over my sister was how my second marriage ended. Speaking of second marriages," he turned to Hotch, "when are you going to take the plunge?"

Hotch groaned. "As I already told these guys, I just want to let things settle for awhile before even broaching the topic."

"You haven't even talked about it?" Kevin asked. He swallowed hard when Hotch glared at him.

"No, we haven't." Hotch got a gleam in eye as he turned his attention back to Rossi. "What about you? When are you going to pop the question to Emily? Make her wife number four?"

Rossi sputtered. "I- We- Friends." Flustered, he turned and hurried away as the howling from the other men followed him through the living room.

"So, he never answered the question?" JJ whispered loudly. She was sitting in the middle of her bed with her legs crossed, watching Hotch strip down to his boxers. It was nearing three in the morning and they had left the rest of the team asleep in the living room as they had the year before.

"Nope. Did you get anything from Emily?"

JJ sighed. "Uh-uh. Those two are slippenary."

Hotch burst out laughing at her new word. "Did you warn Anna and Morgan about Jack's plan for the mistletoe? I noticed that they were careful to avoid it all night. It did catch some interesting others, though."

"Like Emily and Kevin? And Dave and Spence? I thought Lauren was going to faint when you kissed her," JJ teased.

"I only have eyes for one woman." He took a minute to look her over. He flopped down on the bed, turning on his side to stroke her thigh. "How drunk are you?"

"Not too drunk to do what you're starting to do," she replied, her fingers dancing across his bare chest.

"But can you be quiet?" Hotch questioned. "Because there are a lot of people in our house."

JJ gave off an exaggerated frown. "I... don't know. You're really good." She pinched his cheek when he blushed. "It takes all of my concentration when I'm sober to not wake the boys up."

Hotch face-planted into her lap. "I guess we'll have to wait."

With an exaggerated sigh, he stood, pulling her in his arms. JJ wrapped her legs around his waist, kissing him soundly. Hotch fumbled to pull the blanket down.

"You're making this really hard-" he started.

"That's the idea," she giggled against his mouth. She squealed when he tossed her onto the bed. He crawled in behind her.

Hotch pulled her body close to his, biting back a groan when she slipped a leg between his and buried her face in his neck. "You have to behave."

JJ licked him. "Wouldn't it be more fun to be bad? Just a little bit?"

"Do you really want Reid to hear to?" Hotch contested. "Or Rossi? Do you want to give him any ammunition?"

"No," she huffed in response, her eyes fluttering closed. She yawned. "What else did you guys talk about?"

Hotch kissed the top of her head, his own eyes falling shut. "They wanted to know when I was proposing."

JJ hummed. "The girls wanted to know the same thing. I hope there's not another conspiracy afoot."

"Not if they know what's good for them," he threatened. Hotch paused. "Do you think we should be talking about marriage?"

"N-no." JJ stiffened in his arms. "I think we need to work on just being us for awhile before we talk about marriage."

Hotch smiled. "Good. I said the same thing." He waited until he heard her snoring softly before adding, "But I do plan on asking you."


	27. Of Soft Lips and Valentines Dates

"Reid has really nice lips. So, nice and soft, doesn't he?"

"What are you doing?" Morgan hissed, causing Anna to fall on her butt. She covered her mouth with her hand to stop from laughing aloud and waking everyone up.

Anna crawled over to where he was sitting in the living room. She whispered, "I was whispering in Dave's ear about his kiss with Spencer earlier so that he would have dreams about it."

Morgan tried to look stern, but his smile burst through. "I'm pretty sure that he's going to have nightmares about it without your help. Did you see the look on his face when Reid actually puckered up?"

"I think he was pleasantly surprised by just how much he enjoyed the kiss." She turned to go back to Dave. "Wanna help?"

"Get back here!" Morgan ordered, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her to him. She squealed quietly as she flew through the air. "Now, lay here and go to sleep."

Anna flopped on her back while Morgan curled around her. She was quiet for only a few minutes. "What about Emily and Kevin's kiss? They both looked a bit sick after it."

Morgan sighed, opening his eyes and propping his head on his hand. "I think that might have had more to do with the look that Rossi gave them after it happened than the actually kiss. I mean, you've kissed Emily. You know how good of a kisser she is, a fact that you felt the need to tell me, over and over last year."

She narrowed her eyes, playfully. "I've also kissed Kevin so I know how good of a kisser he is."

"Hm," he grumbled. "I noticed that you took special care to avoid the mistletoe this time around."

"Maybe," Anna admitted. "But I wasn't the only, Mister."

Morgan opened his mouth to reply, but was stopped by a voice from the corner. "You could have warned me that I was about to walk under the mistletoe with Rossi," Reid said. "Some big sister you are."

Anna giggled. "So, what was it like kissing Dave anyway?"

"His beard is scratchy," Reid replied.

"It's good for other things," Prentiss mumbled before fall back asleep.

"Did she just admit to doing things with Rossi?" Garcia piped up.

Morgan chuckled. "I think so, Baby Girl, and it was an image that I could have gone without, to be honest."

Anna turned onto her stomach. "So, is everyone besides Dave and Emily awake?"

"Yes," a chorus of voice replied.

"Anyone want to play a game?" She was greeted by a resounding group of nos.

Morgan gathered her in his arms and whispered, "Just go to sleep."

Anna nodded as she buried her nose into his neck, breathing him in. She had just drifted off to sleep when a squeaking noise from upstairs woke her up. Anna began to laugh, her whole body shaking. "Oh, my God!"

"Is that- Is that JJ and Hotch?" Morgan asked.

"Seriously?" Garcia groaned.

"I think we should be impressed given the amount of alcohol that they consumed and how long ago they went to bed," Lauren added. "I hope they won't wake up the boys."

Anna shook her head, though no one could see her. "They won't. The boys can sleep through just about anything."

After another few minutes, Morgan sat up with a groan. "I can't listen to that."

"Pie?" Anna asked.

"Pie."

Kevin jumped up, startling Reid, who fell off the air mattress that he and Lauren were laying on. "Ooh, I could go for some pie."

Reid rubbed his elbow. "I guess I'll grab some, too... now, that I'm up."

"Come on, honey," Lauren said soothingly, dragging him into the kitchen.

"Aw," Anna cooed to Morgan. He shook his head and pushed her into the kitchen.

Kevin held his elbow out to Garcia. "My lady," he cooed before following the others.

JJ emerged from the fridge later that morning and glanced over at the table where Anna, Reid, and the boys were eating breakfast. "What happened to all the pie?"

Reid glanced at Anna, his cheeks turning crimson. "Uh, we had a late night snack,"

"All of you?"

Reid nodded. "Pretty much. Well, not Rossi and Emily. They were out cold."

JJ frowned. "I was really looking forward to that."

"I'm sure that you worked up quite an appetite last night," Anna teased, causing Reid to snort.

"Oh, no." Red was now staining JJ's cheeks. "You... You heard that?" Anna nodded while Reid ducked his head. "Hotch is going to kill me. I told him that I could be quiet when I woke him up."

"Why is Daddy going to kill you?" Jack asked. He had been watching the adults talking trying to understand what they were saying.

JJ cringed. "Um, because, uh..." She looked at Anna for help, but Anna just shrugged. "Oh! Because I was snoring so loudly."

Jack glared at Hotch as he walked into the kitchen. "Dad. You should not yell at JJ for snoring. She can't help it. She's sleeping."

"I'll explain later," JJ muttered as Hotch kissed her.

"Do we have any pie?" he asked. His expression grew bewildered when his question caused Reid and Anna to collapse with laughter. He turned to JJ. "I'm guessing that you'll explain that to me later, too."

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"What are you doing here?" JJ asked, Hotch as she opened the door to her hotel room. They were on a case in Sparta, Michigan, where an unsub was abducting men from night clubs. They had delivered the profile earlier in the day and were now waiting on a break in the case.

"I couldn't sleep," he told her sheepishly, slipping inside the room. He turned to find her standing at the door with her hands on her hips and a smirk on her lips. She cocked an eyebrow at him. "Okay, I couldn't sleep without you."

Sauntering over to him, JJ threw her arms around his neck. "It's okay. I was having a hard time sleeping without you to." She moaned into the kiss that he laid on her. "This is breaking the rules, you know, and you were the one that laid them out."

Hotch rocked her, holding her body close to his. "You weren't exactly saying no to any of my rules, Agent Jareau."

"Of course not. You were naked at the time." JJ laughed at the pout on his face. "Yes, I agreed with the rules. I still do, but I don't mind breaking them every once in awhile."

"Good." He hoisted her up around his waist without warning and tossed them both onto the bed. He began to pepper her face and neck with kisses.

Gasping as he hit a particularly sensitive spot, she moaned, "I thought you wanted to go to sleep."

Hotch grounded against her, causing her to buck against him. "We can go to sleep if you want."

"Not a chance, buster." She groaned as he pushed her shirt up, exposing her perky breasts. Her nipples were erect, screaming out for his mouth. JJ called out his name as he finally suckled her. Her phone rang out as he made his way downward. "Dammit, no!"

"Who is it?" Hotch asked, laying his head on her abdomen.

JJ frowned, looking at the caller ID. "It's the house. It could be about the boys." They both sat up as she answered the phone. "Hello?"

"JJ? It's Olivia," Olivia told her. "I'm sorry to call so late when you're on a case."

"It's fine. Is everything okay?"

Olivia hesitated. "I'm not sure. I mean, everyone's fine physically," she assured quickly, not wanting to panic the away mother. "Henry's having a bit of a fit. I can't calm him down."

Glancing at Hotch, JJ asked, "What kind of fit?"

"Well..." Olivia's voice trailed off as she talked to someone in the kitchen. There were shuffling sounds on the other end of the phone.

"JJ, it's Anna," Anna said, getting on the phone. "We had our first snow after the holidays today and Henry has been waking up with nightmares every half hour or so since we put him down. He's terrified that something is going to happen to you or to Hotch."

Again, JJ looked to Hotch. "It snowed back home for the first time."

Hotch smacked his forehead. It had been a warmer winter than normal and they had been having rain instead of snow for most of January. "And Henry's not doing well? It makes sense. He doesn't know about anniversaries, but he does know that Will died after the first snow after the holidays last year."

"I should have checked the weather before we left," JJ bemoaned. "I thought that since we had passed the anniversary of Will's death that he was okay."

"I hate to ask this since I know that you're on a case, but is there anyway that you could come home?" Anna paused. "I really think he needs you right now."

JJ pinched her nose. "I'll call the airline and get on the first flight back home. I'll let you know what time I'm getting in."

"Thanks, JJ. I'll let him know the next time he wakes up." Anna said her good-byes and hung up the phone.

"I have to go home," JJ said to Hotch.

He nodded. "You call the airline about getting a flight. I'll pack your stuff."

It was early the next morning when JJ snuck into the house. She found Anna and Olivia passed out in the living room, Anna on the couch with Henry sprawled across her and Olivia curled up in the chair. She woke Olivia up first and sent her to her room before waking Anna up.

"How did the rest of the night go?" JJ asked her, stroking Henry's head.

"Not well," Anna confessed. "He wakes up screaming for you, Hotch, or Will. He dreams that all these horrible things have happened to you and Hotch. He doesn't really want to talk about it, though."

As if he knew they were talking about him, Henry began to stir. He opened his eyes to see his mother smiling at him. "Hi, Mama."

"Hi, baby," she said, lifting him off of Anna and pulling him into her arms. "I heard you had a rough night."

"Yeah," Henry nodded, already falling asleep against her shoulder. "Bad man came and took you away."

JJ rocked him gently. "I'm right here, baby. No one took me away."

He sighed. "Bad man took Daddy away."

"No. No, Henry," she told him. "Daddy had an accident. There wasn't a bad guy. You have nothing to be worried about. You're safe and I'm safe and Jack and Hotch and Anna and everyone else. I'm sorry that I wasn't here when it snowed. I'm sorry I wasn't here when you were having all the bad dreams. I'm so sorry..."

"JJ," Anna placed her hand on her arm, "he's asleep."

Taking a shaky breath, JJ looked over at her. "I should have been here. I should have realized that it was going to snow."

Anna frowned at her. "How would you have known that? It wasn't supposed to snow. This surprised us all."

"I-"

"Look, JJ," Anna cut her off, "it's natural to feel guilty, but you really shouldn't. You have a job to do, a job that provides for you and Henry. Olivia and I were here with Henry and when he really need his mom, you hopped on a plane and came home. You're a good mom, JJ. Your boys adore you."

JJ hesitated before nodding once. "I miss this; you and I talking. You always seem to make me feel better."

Anna chuckled. "I don't know about always, but I try." Anna stood. "You should take Henry upstairs and get some sleep. I'll stay and help Olivia get Jack off to school. I can crash in your room."

"Thanks, Anna, for coming over and for the talk," JJ told her.

"That's what family's for."

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"Are you sure that you want to be here today of all days?" Anna asked Morgan as he grabbed a bowl of popcorn from the coffee table. "I mean, surely there's some honey out there dying to take you out."

Morgan glared at her. "I am exactly where I want to be, thank you. Besides, what about you? You're telling me that you couldn't scrounge up a date for the evening?"

Anna barked out a laugh. "Please." She walked into the hallway when she heard a noise on the stairs. "Wow, JJ, you look absolutely stunning!" Anna whistled as JJ walked down the stairs. She was wearing a deep red red low-cut dress with silver beading.

"You don't think it's too much?" JJ asked, unsure, twirling around a bit, causing her blond curls to bounce.

Anna shook her head. "Not at all. Hey, Derek! Come here!"

JJ shot her a surprised look. "Morgan's here?" Anna nodded. "On Valentine's Day?"

"He said that he didn't have anything to do so I invited him to watch movies with the boys while you guys are out." Anna shrugged.

"Yeah?" Morgan stopped suddenly when he caught sight of JJ. "Whoa, JJ! You are smoking!" He yelped when Anna elbowed him. Placing his arms around Anna, he whispered, "Don't worry, Sunshine. You're smoking in your own right."

"Ugh," Anna groaned, but beamed.

Morgan turned his attention back to JJ. "So, what's the occasion?"

She laughed. "Other than it being Valentine's day?" Morgan nodded. "I have no idea. Hotch really wanted this to be a special night. I don't even know where we're going, just that I had to dress up."

"You don't think he's going to propose do you?" Morgan asked her, inwardly chuckling at her frightened look.

"Knock that off!" Anna ordered. "You're going to make her not go on the date. If that happens, you have to go with Hotch."

He grimaced. "I am not putting out, even if he buys me dinner."

"Putting out what?" Jack asked, wandering into the hallway.

"Fires," JJ said quickly when Morgan blanked. "Mr. Derek was talking about putting out fires."

Anna bit her bottom lip, muttering, "Or starting them."

Hotch entered the hallway next, dressed in a dark suit, his hair styled a little looser than normal. Henry was following close behind him. "What about fires?"

"Later," JJ promised. She walked over to him and straightened his tie. "You clean up rather nicely."

"You look amazing." He leaned in close to her so he could whisper and no one else would hear. "If we weren't in a house full of people, I would completely devour you." Hotch looked up when he heard Anna snort. By the amused expression covering her features, he assumed that she was able to work out what he had said. "You ready to go?"

JJ nodded, taking a hold of his hand. They quickly said good-bye to Anna, Morgan, and the boys before heading to the restaurant. They rode in comfortable silence all the way there, though JJ was pleased that Hotch didn't let her hand go the entire time. She loved this side of him; the side that was open, flirty, and fun. She had thought just a couple of months ago that it might be gone after everything with Anna, but now that she got it back, she was going to do everything to keep it.

"This place is breathtaking," JJ said in hushed tones, taking in the décor of the Italian restaurant.

"Everything in here has been shipped over from Italy," Hotch told her. "At least, that's what Rossi told me when he set this up."

JJ grinned. "I was wondering how you got reservations here on Valentine's day of all days." Any further comment was cut off by the waiter coming to take their order. "So, not that I'm not enjoying the chance to get all dressed up and go out for a night on the town with you, but is there a special reason for all of this?"

Hotch nearly burst out laughing at the slight tinge of fear in her eyes. "I'm not going to propose, JJ, so you don't have to worry."

"I'm not worried." She corrected when he raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm not worried, exactly. I just think it's a bit too soon to talk about marriage."

"I agree," he assured her. "There is something that I want to talk to you about, something involving the future, but it has nothing to do with why I brought you here tonight." Hotch took a deep breath. "We have had a very... unusual courtship. I mean, we moved in together before we were even entertaining the idea of an us. We have been on less than a handful of dates and I just wanted to do something more... traditional for a change."

She gave him a reassuring grin. "It's a lovely idea. Thank you."

They made small talk until the food came, though she was dying to know what he wanted to discuss with her. However, she sensed that it was hesitant about the topic and didn't broach it. JJ waited until they were sharing a delicious tiramisu.

"So, what is this future thing that you want to talk to me about?" she asked, finally.

"Right." JJ watched amused as Hotch fidgeted before speaking. "I'm redoing my will."

Of all the things she imagine him saying, that was not one of them. "Huh?"

Hotch cringed. "I probably should have phrased that better." He folded his hands in front of him. "I'm meeting with my lawyer to redo my will so that if anything happens to me that you get Jack."

"Me?"

"You get the house and the SUV, too," he continued, quickly. "Everything else goes into a trust fund for Jack and Henry."

JJ sat there with a stunned expression on her face. "You're giving me Jack? Are you sure?"

Reaching across the table, Hotch grabbed her hands and held on tight. "I am very sure. JJ, you are his mother, in every way that matters. If something should happen to you, I know that you will raise him as I wanted him to be raised, as Haley wanted him to be raised. You will love him and treat him like your own because you already do. You will make sure that he knows about me and Haley, that he knows Jessica and that side of the family."

"Jessica," JJ croaked. "Do you think she'll be okay with this?"

"I already talked to her. She thinks it's a wonderful idea," Hotch assured her. "I guess Jack has been talking you up for months."

She bit her bottom lip. "I don't know what to say. I'm honored."

Hotch squeezed her hands. "I'm the one that's honored, honored that you are a part of our family; honored that you love us – love me."

"It was easy to love you, Hotch," JJ whispered. "I can't imagine ever stopping."

"I can't imagine ever not loving you either," he hold her before leaning across the table to kiss her.

JJ wiped a stray tear that had fallen. It wasn't the most conventional Valentine's date that she had been on, but somehow that fit them perfectly. "Just so you know, you're getting Henry should something happen to me."

Hotch shook his head. "You don't have to do that. I mean, I know your mom-"

"No," she cut him off. "You are his dad. Jack is his brother. If something happens to me, it's where he belongs."

"I love you."

JJ smiled. "I love you, too." She released his hand to drink the rest of her wine. "Now, what do you say we call Anna and see if she'll watch the boys for the night? I'm pretty sure that I know where we can get a hotel room for the night."


	28. Of Indoor Pools and Whiskey Shots

"This is amazing," JJ crowed as she shifted more firmly in the pool raft. She glanced over at Anna, who was helping Henry kick his feet. "Why didn't you get us a house with an inside pool?" She laughed, heartily, when Anna's jaw dropped.

"Very funny," Anna grumbled.

Jack entered the pool area. "What's funny?"

Bouncing in the water, Henry answered, "Mama's funny!"

"And where were you?" JJ asked Jack.

"I was waiting for Daddy."

JJ frowned. "Daddy had a meeting with his boss. He wasn't sure that he'd be able to make it. You knew that."

Jack opened his mouth to reply, but stopped when Hotch walked into the pool house. "The meeting was done early."

"Daddy!" Henry shouted, flailing about hard enough that Anna lost her grip on him. He dunked his head briefly in the water before the water wings leveled him. "I swimming, Daddy! I swimming!"

"I see that!" Hotch told him. "Hey, Anna, I don't know if it's important, but your phone's been ringing since I got into the house."

Anna shrugged. She put Henry onto the side of the pool before climbing out. "Not sure who could be that anxious to get a hold of me, but I'll take a look. You got Henry?"

Hotch nodded. He watched her leave the pool house before turning back to Henry, who was looking up at him expectantly. "You ready to do some more swimming?"

"Yeah!" Henry shouted.

"Watch me, Daddy!" Jack yelled. He backed himself against the wall before running top speed towards the pool, jumping in cannonball style. He covered JJ in water.

JJ wiped the water from her eyes. "Ugh. Now, I'm all wet."

Snickering, Hotch waggled his eyebrows at her. "Just the way I like you."

"Why do you like JJ all wet, Dad?" Jack asked, swimming over to the side of the pool where Hotch was slipping off his pants.

"Because JJ really likes being in the pool, of course," he lied in response. Jack nodded, accepting this answer. Hotch slipped into the water. "It's heated?!" JJ nodded. "Why didn't Anna get us a house like with a heated indoor pool?"

JJ laughed. "That's what I asked. I think a better question is why didn't Dave tell us about his heated pool?"

Pulling Henry into the water, Hotch waded over to JJ. "I'm definitely going to have to have some words with him about it. I could have been ogling you in a bikini year round."

"You shouldn't stare, Daddy," Jack admonished. "My teacher says it isn't nice."

"Not nice," Henry repeated.

JJ tittered. "It's okay, boys. Your dad is welcome to stare at me anytime that he wants."

Jack rolled his eyes as JJ and Hotch shared a kiss. "Ew. I hate it when you get all mushy."

"Since when?"

"Since all you ever do is kiss and say 'I love you' and hug and stuff," Jack replied, shaking his head. "It's disk-gusting. Girls are gross."

JJ sobered slightly. "That's right, Jack. Girls are gross. You hold onto that for as long you can."

After Henry squirmed to be put down, Hotch moved him to the stairs where several pool toys lay. "You know that's going to be another two years of therapy."

"We'll make Dave pay for hiding this pool from us," JJ decided after a moment.

Hotch moved his way back to JJ. He placed his hand on her ankle, stroking it with his thumb. Keeping one eye on Henry while JJ kept one eye on Jack, he leaned down close to her. "You know, Jack is right about something."

JJ raised one eyebrow. "That mushy stuff is disk-gusting?"

"Ha-ha." Hotch gave her a mock glare. "No, that we have been doing a lot of hugging and kissing and saying 'I love you' lately."

"I guess we have," she conceded. "Things are good."

"Things are real good." Hotch placed a soft kiss on her lips. "I love you."

JJ smiled as she attempted to clamp down her arousal. Every time this man touched her, it sent her hormones racing. "I love you, too."

Anna reentered the pool house with a groan. "Ew. Disgusting. Don't you two ever lay off?"

"Well, I guess we know where he gets it from," JJ muttered to Hotch. She turned to Anna. "So, who was on the phone?"

"Your nanny. She's freaking out a bit about the wedding. Her future mother-in-law is a bit imposing," Anna explained. "Her maid of honor is just as bad and her mother is content to sit back and say nothing. So, when things are really going nuts, she calls me to vent since my only agenda is making her happy."

Hotch glanced at JJ before looking at Anna. "Speaking of Olivia, the wedding's in just two months."

Anna nodded. "Uh-huh."

"And Olivia plans to stop being our nanny – being any nanny – afterward."

"True," she agreed. "They want to spend a few months together, just the two of them before having kids."

Hotch rubbed his forehead, irritated that Anna was drawing this out. "Are you coming back or not?"

Anna laughed, evilly. "Yes. But-"

"But what?" Hotch asked, sharply.

"But I don't know if I'm going to stay there full time." Anna took a deep breath. "I think these months apart have been good for us, for you, for your relationship, for me. So, I'm thinking that I'll be on call. I will still be there early enough to make breakfast and I'll stay late enough for you to get home and, of course, I'll stay while you're out of town, but I think it's best if I go home at the end of the day."

Again, JJ and Hotch looked at each other, having a silent conversation. JJ replied this time. "You got yourself a deal, Miss Anna."

Anna smiled. "Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a host and his 'friend' to drag to the pool."

"She's doing good," JJ commented to Hotch.

"Yep."

JJ turned at the mischievous tone in his voice. "Whatever you're planning on doing, don't you – ARGH!" Before she could finish her sentence, Hotch had flipped the raft, sending her flying through the air. She rose from the water, sputtering. "You ass-"

She was stopped by Henry gasping, "Mama!"

"Um, you ass-k me next time before you do that," she covered. JJ punched Hotch's arm. "There will be payback."

"Whatever you say, sweetheart."

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"Dave!" Anna shouted, flinging the front door open. She skidded into the living room where she found Rossi and Prentiss sitting on the couch, glancing nervously at each other. Deciding to ignore rather than harass them about it, Anna continued, "Guess who is going to be medication free just in time for St Patrick's Day?"

Rossi's eyes sparkled as he watched her bounce up and down. "Gee, I don't know. Could it be you?"

"It is!" She clapped. "We have to do something!"

"Like the pub crawl?"

Anna shook her head. "I'd rather not go out. Crowds, you know? I'm getting better, but I'm not quite there yet."

Prentiss spoke for the first time since Anna's arrival. "Why don't you just throw something here? I mean, there are enough bedrooms for everyone so we're not all crammed into the living room."

"I like being crammed all into the living room," Anna pouted.

"You may like it, but my back does not, kiddo," Rossi told her, frankly. "Besides, I bet if you really tried, you could get a few of the others to bunk down in one room."

Anna nodded, sadly. "Maybe. Hey, is it okay if I invite Webber?"

Prentiss' eyes lit up. "He's your really cute friend, right? The one that you go to the club with?"

"I guess," Anna replied, cringing over the description of Webber as "really cute".

"Then definitely invite him."

Rossi frowned. "Maybe we should invite Greta, too. She's been looking for a new man."

Prentiss shook her head. "You know way too much about the romantic lives of your cleaning staff."

"Hey, I'm a people person," he protested.

"Yeah, and she only comes once a week, usually while you're at work," Prentiss shot back.

Anna whistled. "Okay, well, I'm just gonna go plan this. I'll talk to you later."

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"JJ!" Anna shouted as she opened the door on St Patrick's Day, wearing a green shirt and skirt covered in shamrocks and white tights with green shamrocks. Her hair was covered in green braids and in her ears were tiny leprechauns. Anna threw her arms around both JJ and Hotch. "What took you so long to get here?"

"Henry wouldn't let us leave until he fell asleep. I think he was a little mad that we were coming to a party without him," Hotch told her.

Anna grabbed their arms when they attempted to head in further. "Whoa, where are you going?"

They looked at her confused as Reid entered the hallway, carrying a tray. "She's making everyone who enters do a shot with her. She says it's tradition."

"It's a good thing that you guys came in groups or I'd be on the floor," Anna joked, grabbing one of the shot glasses. She clinked with the others before the four of them downed a shot of whiskey. "Now, this is going to be a little bit different of a party."

"Different how?" Hotch asked, nervously.

Anna grinned almost diabolically at them as she led them into the dining room where the rest of the BAU team as well as Kevin, Lauren, Webber and Rossi's cleaning woman, Greta, sat around the table. There were St. Patrick's ay decorations scattered throughout the room. On the table sat snacks, various bottles of alcohol, and a shot glass in front of every seat.

"About time you got here, peaches!" Garcia exclaimed as JJ took a seat next to her. "Someone wouldn't let us get started until everyone got here."

Anna shot her a glare. "Hush!"

"Sorry, sorry," JJ apologized. "We had kid issues."

"Now, Sunshine," Morgan said to Anna, "are you going to tell us what the rules are for this evening?"

Anna poured herself and Morgan a shot. "It's very simple. We sit, we talk, and we do shots in honor of people we lost."

Rossi shrugged. "Sounds simple enough. Where did you come up with this plan?"

"My mom. It's how she used to celebrate St Patrick's Day with her family," Anna said, quietly. She shook off her melancholy and picked up her shot glass. "Happy St Patrick's Day!"

"Happy St Patrick's Day!" they answered in unison.

JJ slammed her glass down with a shudder. "Whew! It's been a long time since I've done shots."

Hotch bumped her shoulder. "And by a long time, you mean a few weeks."

"Months!" She pointed her finger at him. "And don't you pretend that you didn't enjoy it, mister!"

"Oh," he whispered into her ear, "I always enjoy it when you do shots."

JJ looked at him with raw lust in her. She forced herself to look away and towards Prentiss. "Emily, do you remember the time that we took Reid out to that bar in Fredericksburg?"

Prentiss' eyes lit up. "That's the place where both the girl and her brother were hitting on him, right?"

"We do not have to tell this story!" Reid protested, slightly panicked.

"Oh, I think we do, little brother!" Anna shouted, gleefully. "Don't you agree, Lauren?"

Lauren nodded, enthusiastically. "Definitely!"

JJ leaned forward. "So, this girl and her brother are pouring drinks down Spence's throat. The brother kept stroking Spence's thigh and the sister was stroking his chest. Reid is just sitting there getting redder and redder."

"I was pleading with the two of you to help me out!" Reid countered.

"It was way too amusing to stop," JJ laughed. "Besides, Emily had her own issues with that woman that looked exactly like Strauss."

Rossi turned to Prentiss. "Really?"

Narrowing her eyes at him, Prentiss answered, "Don't even start."

"So, who did you end up going home with?" Garcia asked Reid.

"Please, say them both. Please, say them both," Morgan begged.

Reid glared at him. "Neither!"

JJ was laughing even harder now. "I had to drag both of them out of there and into the car. I'm not really sure what happened in the backseat, but there were some strange noises."

"Nothing happened," Prentiss said, a bit too quickly. "Nothing!"

"I think it's time to do another shot," Rossi interjected before Prentiss could get anymore upset. He raised his shot when everyone had filled theirs. "This is for my mother; she was a saint."

Kevin turned to Anna after the shot. "So, are there rules on how often we can do shots?" Anna shook her head. "Then, I'd like to propose another toast, to my grandfather, the only person that stood by me no matter what."

The night wore on with toasts to someone close to everyone. For JJ, it was her sister. For Hotch, it was Haley; for Garcia, her parents; for Reid, his friend from college; for Prentiss, her father; for Lauren, her grandmother; for Anna, her mother. When it came time for Webber to make his toast, they found him making out with Greta in the corner.

"Well, then," Rossi grunted. "I'd like to propose a toast to this team, a finer team I have never known."

"To the team!" they cheered.

Leaning over Lauren and Reid, Rossi said to Anna. "I would like to propose a toast to you, my darling girl."

Anna's eyes twinkled. "I think you're feeling a little drunk there, Dave."

"Ssh. This is serious." He grabbed the one hand of hers that he could reach. "I love you. And I want you to know that not only if I had a daughter, would I want her to be like you, I want you to be my daughter."

"What?" Anna glanced around when the room stilled minus the smacking sounds from Webber and Greta's lips.

Rossi squeezed her hand. "Just say the word and you will become an official card carrying member of the Rossi clan. My lawyer has adoption papers on stand-by."

Kevin's eyes widened. "His family carries cards?"

"Ssh!" Garcia hushed him.

"I'm just saying..." he muttered.

Anna opened and closed her mouth a few times before responding. "Are you telling me that you want to be my dad, Dave?"

Rossi shook his head. "I'm telling you that I want to continue to be your dad."

"This may be a conversation for tomorrow when alcohol's not involved," Morgan suggested after a few moments, sensing Anna's discomfort.

"Right you are!" Rossi agreed. He jumped up. "Emily, could you help me grab some more snacks in the kitchen?"

JJ waited until Prentiss and Rossi left the room to ask, "Hey, Lauren, how about you wait two minutes and then head into the kitchen? I've got five bucks if you can catch them in the act of making out."

Lauren paled. "No. No, no, no."

"Come on! We'll consider it your initial- your institution- your initiation!"

"Honey, I think you're drunk," Hotch told her, rubbing her back.

JJ did a little shimmy. "You like it when I'm drunk. I'm more bendy."

Groans permeated the room. Garcia scratched her chin. "Peaches, I'm a little concerned about this tendency that you have to get really horny we all get together."

"She can't help it," Morgan spoke up. "It comes with having to look at all this," he flicked his hands over his body, "all evening."

"Anna, can't you do something with him?" Reid begged while the rest of them rolled their eyes.

She shrugged. "I could, but since I happen to agree with him about this, it might not be exactly what you're hoping for."

Reid slammed his head on the table. "Why are my sisters like this?"

"Aw, he called me his sister," JJ cooed. She looked at Hotch. "Wait. If I'm Spence's sister and Anna is Spence's sister and Anna is also your sister, what does that make us?"

"Someday, you will be my wife," Hotch told her, side-stepping the question.

She smiled. "That wasn't a proposal, though, was it?"

Hotch shook his head. "Nope. I think I'm going to let you propose to me."

"You can't do that!" Garcia protested. "A girl dreams about her proposal."

"Not all girls," JJ and Anna said together.

JJ sighed when Garcia continued to pout. "How about we compromise? I'll let you know when I'm ready to be proposed to and you can tell Hotch?"

Garcia clapped. "Yay! Now, can we make it soon?" Garcia frowned at their doubtful looks. "Well, someone needs to do something. Reid and Lauren are too new. Rossi and Emily are whatever the hell they are. Anna and my honey pot are trying desperately to hold onto their 'just friends' status."

"Kevin, can you please propose to your girl so that she has something else to occupy her time besides meddling with the rest of us?" Morgan pleaded.

"Kevin's proposing?" Prentiss asked, walking back into the room with Rossi.

Reid grimaced. "We're just trying to keep Garcia out of the rest of our lives."

Rossi patted Kevin on the back. "You know, it just might be time to-"

"Go to bed?" Webber offered, standing up, abruptly. "I completely agree."

"I was going to say start drinking some water," Rossi replied as Webber and Greta bolted from the room, "but I guess bed is good."

Hotch caressed JJ's thigh. "Are you ready for bed?"

Rossi moved behind them. "I put you guys in the room all the way on the other side of the house. I think you know why."

"I can set up mattresses in the game room if anyone's interested in having a sleepover," Anna offered.

"Sleep on an air mattress or sleep in a comfy bed." Rossi pretended to weigh the options. "Yeah, I know which way I'm going."

The group cleaned up the dining room, leaving the decorations for the morning before stumbling up the stairs to their respective rooms.

"I think we're garnering a reputation," JJ commented to Hotch as she sat on the bed, waiting for him to leave the bathroom.

"They're just jealous," he replied, stepping into the bedroom.

"Uh-huh," she said, disbelieving. "Is this real?"

Hotch sat down next to her. "You and me?" She nodded. "Of course, it's real. Why would you think otherwise?"

JJ chewed on her bottom lip before responding. "You are so flirty and open with me. It's so different than before."

"Did you ever think that maybe this is the real me and you're just finally getting to see it?" Hotch cradled her hands in his hands. "I have to be stoic at work. It's the only way I know how to face the things that I face. I don't just mean the cases, but all of the politics, too. I got out of law because of that, only to find myself smack in the middle of it."

"But with Haley-"

"With Haley, you only saw bits of us and usually when she stopped by at work. Things were," he paused. "Things were already going downhill by the time you joined the BAU, by the time Haley got pregnant with Jack. Sure, we still had some good times, but the strain was already showing. I had to be serious or else I would have fallen apart."

She laid down. "So, this is just the real Hotch finally coming out?"

Laying down beside her, Hotch pulled her to his chest. "Something like that."

"The boys are doing okay, right?" JJ asked, switching subjects.

"Does whiskey always make you paranoid or is tonight special?"

JJ snuggled into his chest. "It pretty much always makes me paranoid."

Kissing the top of her head, he replied, "I think the boys are doing great."

"Jack still hasn't mentioned anything more about calling me 'Mom'. We've been back together for four months now." She quieted for a moment. "Do you think if we got married that he would feel more secure?"

"Are you suggesting that we get married for the boys?" Hotch clarified.

JJ yawned. "It's a thought."

Hotch slipped his hand under her top to stroke her sides. He loved the feel of her smooth skin under his fingertips. "When we get married, it should be for us. The boys are secure. Jack will call you 'Mom' when he's ready. He knows that you love him and that you're here for the long haul. That's what really matters."

"I guess you're right," she mumbled.

"It's really important to you that Jack call you 'Mom', isn't it?"

JJ sighed. "I just feel like I'm doing something wrong. I mean, both boys call you 'Daddy', but only Henry calls me 'Mama'.

His heart broke over the sadness in her voice. "You are not doing anything wrong, I promise."

"I believe you," she agreed. "Even still, I think I'm going to arrange a day for just Jack and I to hang out."

"I think that sounds like a wonderful idea."


	29. Of Moms and Weddings

“Jack, don't forget about your dentist appointment today,” JJ told him, helping him to put his backpack on. “Olivia's coming to pick you up about ten.”

Jack sighed. He hated going to the dentist, but he was particularly mad that it was on art day. Art day was his favorite day of the week. “I know.”

JJ smiled to herself. “Don't worry. We'll do something special for dinner as a reward for you.”

“Okay!” he replied, excitedly. He opened the door to find someone standing on the other side. “Anna!”

“Hey, buddy!” Anna pulled him into a hug. “You heading off to school?”

JJ gave Anna a weird look while Jack nodded. “Jack, could you go wait in the car for us?” She waited until he got into the car before turning to Anna. “Did we know you were coming?”

Anna shook her head. “Olivia and I thought that we would do something special with Henry since you were taking Jack out on a special day.”

“That's probably a good idea. Thanks.”

“I have to admit that I’m doing it for me, too,” Anna told her, walking with her out the door. “I’m getting a bit bored sitting at Dave’s.”

JJ smiled. “Anxious to get back to work?”

Anna shrugged. “Anxious to do something.”

“Have you thought any more about what Rossi asked on St Patrick’s Day?” JJ asked her.

“The adoption?” Anna clarified. JJ nodded. “Only constantly for the last two and a half weeks.”

“What’s stopping you? I don’t think it’s loyalty to your family.”

Anna snorted. “No. I’m just, uh, fighting feelings of inadequacy, of not wanting Dave to be saddled with me. My shrink is having a field day with me right now.”

Laughing at Anna’s self-deprecating eye-roll, JJ patted Anna's arm. “Try not to over think it. You deserve this, but only if you want it.”

“Thanks, JJ.” She waved as JJ got into the car. “Have fun today!”

JJ hummed the entire way to Jack's school. She was nearly bursting with excitement by the time Jack entered the school office. His head was lowered and his shoulders slumped.

“Hi, my Jack!” JJ greeted enthusiastically. He grunted out a greeting, which made her laugh inwardly. “Are you ready for the dentist?”

“I guess,” he mumbled, following her out of the school.

JJ stopped him from getting into the car. “So, I have a bit of a surprise for you, my Jack. We're not going to the dentist?”

Jack glanced up at her with bewilderment and a bit of hope. “We're not?”

“Nope.” She shook her head with a grin. “You and I are going to spend the entire day together, just you and I.”

“Yay!” he shouted, throwing his arms around her waist. “What are we going to do?”

JJ cupped his face. “Whatever you want to do. That new movie that you wanted to see is playing in about twenty minutes.”

Jack quickly agreed to the movie and pulled JJ along to the car. They enjoyed the movie complete with lemonade and popcorn. Afterward, JJ took him to a fifties' diner that was always a favorite of hers.

Jack took a sip of his chocolate shake before settling back in the diner seat. “JJ... why are we doing this?”

JJ frowned. She had expected some curiosity from Jack, but not skepticism. She decided to reflect with humor. “Well, it was lunchtime and I was hungry so I thought eating would be a good choice.”

Sighing, Jack shook his head. “Why did you pick me up from school? Why are taking me places? Are you and Daddy breaking up again? Are you moving out?”

“No, Jack, no,” she told him, quickly. She moved from her seat next to his and brushed the hair from his forehead. “This is why I wanted to spend the day with you.”

“I don't understand,” he replied, his eyes questioning.

Giving him a sympathetic smile, JJ continued, “That's because I'm explaining this really, really badly.” She took a deep breath. “I know that we scared you when your dad and I fought and Henry and I went to stay with Uncle Spencer for a few days.”

Jack's head fell forward as he muttered, “I didn't like that very much.”

“I didn't like it very much either,” she agreed. “I want you to understand that I love you and I love your dad. I don't plan on going anywhere. But even if I do, you and I will never be strangers. I will always be... always be...”

“My mom?” he suggested, hints of trepidation and hope in his voice.

Breaking into a huge grin, JJ thought her heart would explode with joy. “Yeah. I will always be your mom. Nothing will ever change that.”

Jack scrunched up his face. “Even if you and Daddy break-up and you and Henry leave again?”

“Even then.”

“And my daddy knows?”

JJ's brow furrowed as she thought over Jack's last question. “Of course, your daddy knows. Your dad and I don't keep secrets from each other, not when it involves you boys.”

“So, he's okay with you being my mom?”

“Y-yes! He loves the idea, but if you want to talk to him about it, we'll both be okay with it,” she reassured him.

Jack shook his head. “If you're going to be my mom, we have to go over a few rules.”

JJ's eyes took on an amused brightness. “What sort of rules?”

“Well, you have to come and tuck me in every night. Oh, and read me a story, too!”

“I think I can manage that as long as your dad and I aren't out on a case,” she laughed.

Jack tapped his chin with his finger. “And you have to come to my kindergarten graduation.”

She squeezed him. She and Hotch had already taken the time off to guarantee that they would be there for his graduation. “Wild horses couldn't keep me away.”

“And we have to have a Christmas card this year with all of us...” his voice trailed off. “Do you think Anna would be okay if she wasn't in our card? She can be in Uncle Dave's card.”

“I think she'll be fine with that,” JJ told him as her thoughts spun out on why he wanted a Christmas card of all things, especially in April. “What else?”

Jack glanced around the restaurant. “Um, we need to have ice cream every night.”

JJ tittered. “I'm going to have to say no to that one.”

“Okay,” he sighed. He sobered a bit. “Can I call you 'Mom' sometimes?”

“You can call me 'Mom' anytime that you like.”

Jack smiled and settled back into the booth. He took a bite of his cheeseburger, contemplating their conversation. Satisfied that he was fine with their talk, JJ moved back to her seat. “Hey, JJ, um, Mom?”

Her chest warming, she replied, “Yes, sweetheart?”

“Do you think we could do this again?”

“I think that's a distinct possibility.”

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“She looks absolutely beautiful,” JJ whispered to Hotch, grasping his hand as they watched Olivia march down the aisle on the arm of her father.

“She’s very pretty,” Hotch agreed, “but not quite as breathtaking as the woman sitting next to me.”

JJ rolled her eyes, but a blush crept up the back of her neck. “No need to sweet talk me. I'm already going home with you tonight.”

Jack leaned over from his position on Anna's lap with his finger to his lips. “Shush, Mom! You're supposed-a be quiet when the bride is walking down the aisle.”

“You tell them, little man,” Morgan muttered to Jack. He stifled a chuckle when Jack shot him a dark look.

“This is a much fancier ordeal than I would have anticipated from Olivia,” Hotch commented.

JJ nodded as she glanced around the ostentatiously decorated church. “I believe that this was his mother’s doing.” She zeroed in on the cherub statues in the front. “This is something that I could see my mother wanting, actually.”

Hotch's eyes widened. “Really?”

“Yeah. But don't worry; this so isn't my kind of thing.” She grew quiet for a moment before asking, hesitantly, “What kind of wedding did you and Haley have?”

“It was a bit like this,” Hotch replied. He laughed at JJ's mortified expression. “Haley was into the whole princess fairytale, complete with a tiara.” He sighed. “She made me wear a coat with tails.”

Patting his cheek, JJ admitted, “I'm going to have to take a look at those wedding pictures in Jack's book.”

Hotch groaned. “So, what kind of wedding would you like? I'm assuming not the big, expensive wedding. Vegas? Courthouse?”

“No. I mean, those do have some sort of appeal, but,” she took in a deep breath, “I've never really imagined my wedding. I figured that would depend on the man that I was marrying. But I've always had this image in my head of dancing with my new husband at my reception. I'm in a simple, silk dress, and he's in a dark suit. The music plays softly in the background and all of our important family and friends stand around watching as he holds me close in his arms. I guess what I'm saying is that I'd like to have a small ceremony with a small reception. I don't want to have to worry about inviting second cousins and my high school friends. I just want the people that are important to the two of us to be there, but I do want something a bit more traditional.” She smiled when he grabbed her hand and kissed her palm. “What about you? I mean, you're the one that's been through this already.”

“I have found that it's best to defer in the bride in these situations,” he teased.

JJ frowned. “I certainly hope that you're not comparing me to any other bride.”

Hotch cringed. “Of course not! No, no.” He grimaced as Jack hushed them again. “Actually, I think the wedding that you described sounds wonderful. But my only question is, which one of us gets Anna?”

“Neither. I'm officiating,” Anna told them both before turning her attention back to the front.

“Officiating what?” Morgan asked.

Anna bounced Jack up and down. “Hotch and JJ's wedding.”

Morgan nodded. “And when are they having this wedding?”

“I'm gonna say in about a year.” She bumped Morgan's shoulder with her own. “He just has to propose first.”

“So, what kind of wedding would you like?” Morgan grinned, hoping to catch her off guard.

“Oh, nothing like this,” Anna shot back, keeping her focus on the wedding as the bride and groom exchanged vowels. “No, I want something simple. I don’t even have to wear a dress. And I’d like to do it in a park or a backyard or something like that. I wouldn’t tell anyone that we were getting married, just let them show up, thinking they were there for a party or something, and then, BAM! Nope, you’re at a wedding.” She smiled to herself, her eyes glossing over as she got lost in her own mind. “Of course, we’d have to find a way to get your mother and sisters there and I would want Dave to walk with me, even if it’s only a few feet. I think he’d get a kick out of that, don’t you?”

Morgan cleared his throat. “I think he would.” He let out a long breathe. “Did you just propose to me?”

Anna shook her head slowly. She kissed his cheek. “I would never take that glory away from you.”

“Would you at least agree that we’re dating and let me call you ‘my girlfriend’?”

“If you can make it through tonight without embarrassing yourself, we’ll talk.”

Morgan grabbed her hand, kissing it. “Embarrassment? Sunshine, I am going to make you the envy of everyone at the reception.”

Blushing in spite of herself, Anna leaned in closer to him. “I'm looking forward to it.”

“Check that out,” JJ muttered to Hotch tapping him on the leg. Hotch turned to see Anna kissing Morgan's cheek again before settling against him. “Looks like they're finally making progress.”

“Hmph,” Hotch grunted, though he was secretly pleased. He started at the glare that Jack was giving them. “Sorry, sorry. We'll pay attention.”

“Thank you,” Jack told them before directing everyone's attention forward.

 

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“Hey, Dave. We need to talk,” Prentiss told him when he opened the front door.

“Worst phrase in the English language,” he replied, ushering her into the living room. He felt a tightening in his chest. Rossi offered her a seat, but she refused, pacing the room instead.

Prentiss clapped her hands together after her third venture around the room. “We've been doing this – whatever – for awhile now. It's been fun and if I've truthful, it's been refreshing not worrying about defining where we stand with each other.”

Rossi shrugged. He didn't agree with her, but refused to tell her any differently. “I suppose so.”

“I have to tell you something. I-”

“Dave, can I talk to you for a minute?” Anna asked, walking into the room. She froze when she saw the seriousness on both Rossi and Prentiss' faces. “S-sorry. I didn't know you were here, Emily. I can come back later.”

Prentiss stepped forward quickly. “No! No, it's okay. I can wait if you need to talk to Dave. Or, I can come back later.”

Anna looked over at Rossi, who was torn between wanting to hear what Anna had to tell him and curiosity over Prentiss' news. “Uh, this won't take long and you're more than welcome to stay.”

“What is it, kiddo?” Rossi asked.

“I just, uh, wanted to let you know that I came to a decision about the adoption thing. I know that you asked me a few months ago and I haven't said anything, but I have been talking a lot about it with my therapist and with Spencer and Derek.”

Rossi frowned. “I'm not adopting Reid and Morgan.”

Anna burst out laughing. “Yeah, no, that would just be weird.”

“So, what's your decision?” he asked, fighting annoyance over the fact that none of the women in his life seemed to be able to have a straightforward conversation with him.

“I think we should do it,” she replied. “I want to be your daughter, Dave.”

Rossi rushed over and snatched up her hands into his. “Really? Are you sure?”

Nodding, Anna grinned widely. “Yep. Sign me up; I'm going to be the newest Rossi.”

“Oh, kiddo!” Rossi pulled her into a tight hug. He kissed the top of her head. “I'm so happy! So, so happy! I can't wait to tell everyone about my daughter! Oh, I have to call my sisters! I have to call my lawyer. I-”

“I love you, Dave,” she cut him off. 

Rossi released her so that he could cup her face. “I love you, too, my daughter.”

Anna wiped away the tears in her eyes. “I want to, um, I want to take your last name, too.”

“Really?” Rossi touched his hand to his heart. He had truly not expected that.

“Really. I mean, someone has to carry on the Rossi last name, right?” she joked. Anna held up her hand when Rossi opened his mouth to protest. “I'm going to go make some phone calls of my own before we really start to get mushy in here. I'll, uh, talk to you later.”

Rossi turned back to Prentiss, who was standing in the corner quietly. “Can you believe that? I'm going to be a father. She's even taking my last name.”

Prentiss gave him a small smile. “Yeah, it's really something. But...” Prentiss' voice trailed off and Rossi was unable to stop himself from cringing. “She's wrong on one thing: she won't be the only one to carry on the Rossi name.”

“What do you mean?” Rossi's head was cocked to the side, confused.

“I'm pregnant, Dave. Just about two months along,” she confessed.

Rossi raised an eyebrow. “That night in Albuquerque?” Prentiss nodded. “I told you something special happened that night.”

Prentiss rolled her eyes. “I'm pretty sure that was the wine talking.” She took a deep breath. “So, what are we going to do?”

“What are we going to do, indeed.”

 

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“Are you ready, Henry?” Jack whispered to the younger boy.

“I ready,” Henry agreed, nodding his head.

Anna leaned down to both of them. “Don't forget to shout it really, really loud.”

Jack nodded, solemnly, while Henry gave out a soft, “Yeah!”

“Happy Anniversary!” the boys shouted when they saw their parents at the top of the stairs. Hotch offered his arm to JJ, escorting her down the stairs.

“Thank you, guys,” JJ said when they reached the bottom. She kissed the top of both boys' heads.

Henry looked up at his mother in awe. “Mama, you look boo- bow... You look pretty.”

JJ grinned. “You look rather handsome yourself.”

“We should really get going so we don't miss our reservation,” Hotch told her, picking each boy up to say good-bye.

“Are you implying that I took too long to get ready?”

Hotch smirked. “Never, dear.”

JJ rolled her eyes towards Anna. “Smart man.” She motioned for Anna to follow her to the porch while Jack and Henry headed back to the living room. “So, you sure you have everything?”

“Not exactly my first time baby-sitting, JJ. Not to mention the fact that I've been back to being your full-time nanny for a couple of months now,” Anna informed her, unnecessarily. 

“I know. It's just-”

“It's just getting to the one year anniversary of my re-kidnapping and everyone's getting a little overprotective?” Anna shrugged as JJ nodded. “It's okay. But really, I feel fine. I think a better question is why you're celebrating your anniversary on this date instead of your first date or your first kiss.”

Hotch flung his arm around Anna's shoulder. “Because this is the date that I finally made my intentions known.” He released Anna and grabbed JJ's hand. “Ready?”

She nodded. “Yeah. Oh, look, the Crawleys are finally selling their house.”

“Who are the Crawleys?” Hotch shrugged when both JJ and Anna stared at him. 

“The Crawleys? The old couple that have been talking about selling since we moved?” JJ questioned.

Anna sighed. “I love their house.”

Hotch shook his head. “Yeah, okay, we should probably get going.”

He pulled JJ off the porch and into the car, taking her to the same restaurant as their first date. This time, however, he reserved the small room in the back so that they weren't distracted by the other patrons. They placed their orders quickly and began to sip on the wine that Hotch had ensured was waiting on the table.

“I can't believe that it's been a year since you kissed me,” JJ commented. She raised an eyebrow. “Or should I say mauled? I still can't walk past the front door without blushing.”

“Front door? Do you know that I still can't smell cookies without wanting to haul you off to the bedroom?” Hotch countered, referring to their kiss in the kitchen while making cookies back before they were dating.

She licked a drop of wine from her lips. “It's been a crazy year. But... I wouldn't change any of it. At least, not the stuff between you and me.”

He glanced away, ashamed. “Even the 'break'?”

“Even that. I think it made us stronger. I think we learned to depend on each other and not others. Don't you?”

“Yes.” Hotch looked back at her. “As painful as it was, I realized that there is nobody in the world that I want beside me but you. You are the perfect woman to me and for me. And I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to make you happy.”

Tears in her eyes, JJ folded her hands in front of her. “I love you, Hotch. Just being with you makes me happy. I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy.”

Hotch swallowed hard. “Was that- Was that a proposal?”

“It was a proposal that you propose.”

“Jennifer Ann Jareau,” Hotch rose from his chair and dropped to one knee. He pulled a ring from his shirt pocket. “I- I had this big speech in my head that I've practiced for months, but now that it's time to give it, it's completely gone out of my head. The only thing I can say is that I love you and I love our family. I never want to be separated from you. Will you marry me?”

JJ stared at the ring, her eyes wide. She hadn't expected him to propose immediately. “How long have you been carrying that around?”

Hotch ducked his head. “I found it about a month after you and Henry moved in.”

“You've been carrying it around that entire time?” She fought her voice to not break.

“It's crazy, I know. We weren't even talking about dating at that time, but as soon as I saw it, I felt this... compulsion... to buy it. I knew that I would never ask anyone else to marry me. It's you or no one.” He grinned. “Now, do you think you could answer? This isn't exactly the most comfortable position.”

Laughing, JJ pulled him up from his knees until their lips were inches from each other. “Yes. Of course, I'll marry you. There is no one else I would ever say yes to.”

Hotch kissed her then, lovingly and intensely. He broke the kiss just long enough to say, “We are going to have an amazing life.”

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A/N2: Well, folks, there is only one chapter left!


	30. Of Epilogues and Good-byes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Well, my faithful readers, this is the end. At least, the end of this story. I honestly can't promise that you'll never see a one shot pop up here and there, but we're leaving “Anna Poppins” behind. This has been my biggest baby, not just in terms of size. I've been writing this for nearly four years and publishing it for almost three! THIS was the story (though not the first published here) that got me back into writing fanfiction. I cannot thank you enough for being part of my life for the last few years.

“Is it just me or does Dave look really nervous?” JJ asked Reid.

“Well, he is gaining a new daughter,” Reid replied, studying Rossi as he stood at the barbeque, grilling steaks, “and that daughter is Anna. I think you'd look pretty nervous, too.”

“Oh, ha-ha, little brother,” Anna scoffed, coming up to the two of them. She flung an arm around each of their shoulders, whispering, “I don't think you can chalk this one up to me. Look at Emily.”

JJ and Reid turned to where Prentiss was sitting. She was gnawing anxiously on her thumb as she deliberately avoided looking directly at Rossi. JJ smirked. “I wonder what's going on with that.”

Morgan strolled up behind Anna, wrapping his arms around her waist. “Well, clearly, they've gotten married and now Emily is terrified to tell us because she's afraid we'll be angry.”

“They haven't even confirmed that they're dating and you think they went up and got married?” Anna asked him.

“You're one to talk,” JJ muttered.

Morgan and Anna spoke at the same time. “We're dating.”

JJ rolled her eyes at the two of them. She sobered, suddenly, as a thought popped into her head. “You don't think Emily could be leaving, do you?”

“What if Emily used to be a spy for Interpol that nabbed a high profile criminal, causing him to be imprisoned and now, he's broken out and is coming after Emily because she made him believe that she was in love with him and she's going to fake her death to get away from him,” Reid suggested. He reddened at the looks from the others. “Yeah, okay, that was dumb. Garcia would have uncovered that in her background search when Emily was hired.”

“That kind of sounds like a bad soap opera plot,” Anna told him, causing Reid to lower his head in shame.

Rossi, finally realizing that Prentiss was the object of scrutiny from the four, walked over to the group after having Hotch man the grill. He grabbed Anna's hand, pulling her away. “Anna, sweetheart, could I talk to you for a moment?”

With a confused look to the others, she agreed. “Su-ure.” She allowed Rossi to drag her from the backyard into the house and into the living room. “What's going on, Dave?”

“I have some news to share with you,” he replied, searching her face, nervously, “and I wanted to do it before we made the big announcement to everyone.”

“You're kind of starting to scare me,” Anna admitted after a few minutes of silence. 

Startled, Rossi grabbed her and hugged her. “You know that I love you, right, kiddo?”

Anna fought off feelings of panic that were starting to settle in her chest. “What do you need to tell me, Dave?”

“You, my dear daughter,” Rossi pulled away just enough to cup her face with his hands, “are going to have a brother or a sister very soon.”

“What?” Anna's jaw dropped in disbelief.

Rossi nodded. “Emily's pregnant. We're going to have a baby. I want you to know that this doesn't change a thing, not one thing. I love you and you are my daughter. We are going to sign those papers next week and you are going to become Anna McCrae Rossi. We-”

Anna threw her arms around Rossi, shouting, “We're going to have a baby! I'm going to be a big sister! To a baby that I'm going to see more than once a year! This is awesome!”

“You're really okay with this?”

“Yeah! Are you and Emily getting married? Can I be a bridesmaid? Is it weird that I kissed Emily once? Maybe twice. Okay, it was three times, but I promise not to do it again no matter how much Derek begs.” Anna was rambling without stopping to breathe, it appeared to Rossi. “Have you picked any names out? Can I give you suggestions? Do not go with David Jr. My brother, if it is a brother, needs to have his own name.”

“Whoa,” Rossi said, finally cutting in on her. “Emily and I are not getting married. We're...”

Anna pulled away from him to put a hand on her hip. “Still playing around, trying to pretend that you're not in love and destined to be together? You better figure that out before my sibling gets here or else.. you're going to owe us both a... pony.”

Her threats caused Rossi to laugh until tears came out of his eyes. “You are a peach, kiddo.”

“Is everything okay in here?” Prentiss asked, sticking her head into the living room.

“Emily!” Anna squealed, hugging her fiercely. “I'm so happy!”

Eyes wide, Prentiss patted Anna's back. “I'm glad.” She shot a confused look at Rossi, who only shook his head, promising to explain more later. “We should really get out there and make this announcement before Garcia really gets upset with the scenarios that she's inventing in her head.”

Anna bounced out of the living room, feeling just like a kid. She gave Hotch a reassuring smile as she stepped outside before down in Morgan's lap, causing Reid to grimace to Lauren. JJ pulled Henry into her arms as she went to stand by Hotch.

“Well, whatever it is, it can't be too bad if Anna's smiling like that,” JJ whispered to Hotch. He silently nodded his agreement.

Rossi cleared his throat, making sure all attention was on him and Prentiss. “As I'm sure you are all aware, Emily and I have something to tell you all. It turns out that... Well, you see, the thing is... We...”

Prentiss stepped forward. “We're having a baby.”

“What?” Garcia shouted.

“We're having a baby,” Prentiss repeated, “and, before anyone asks, we are not getting married.” 

Anna jumped up and down when no one said anything. “Isn't this just the best news ever?”

Reid picked up Anna's excitement and went to hug Prentiss and shake Rossi's hand. “Congratulations, guys. You're going to make wonderful parents.”

Reid's support shook the others out of the stupor and soon many embraces and felicitations were exchanged amongst the team. The group soon split apart with JJ, Garcia, and Prentiss steal away to talk nurseries and names while Kevin and Morgan cornered Rossi to rib him about his upcoming fatherhood to both Anna and the new baby. Reid and Lauren graciously took over looking after Jack and Henry.

Hotch sat down next to Anna. “So, are you really okay with all of this?”

Anna studied him. “With the baby? Yeah! I'm excited. I'm not afraid that it's going to make Dave want or love me any less, if that's what you're worried about.”

“Maybe a little bit,” he admitted.

“I... finally believe that people can love me for me,” she assured him, ducking her head to cover her blush. “Dave had no reason to do this, no reason to take me on, but he did and he loves me. I'm his daughter.” Anna raised her head, waving him off. 

Hotch studied the ground. “Speaking of family, have you talked with your brother? The biological one? Or any of your other family?”

She gave him a half-shrug. “I talked to Teddy. He was very supportive. He said that he would be there whenever I decide to be part of their family again, if I decide, in whatever way I want. I don't think he's too bothered about the name change, but, of course, I already changed it once so I can't imagine that's a big deal to him.” She waved him off. “I don't want to talk about this mushy stuff anymore. I want to know when you and JJ are going to announce your engagement.”

Hotch stiffened. “How do you know about that?”

Anna patted the top of his head. “Oh, Hotch. I know everything.” She laughed at his glare. “JJ's been wearing the engagement ring on a chain under her shirt. Come on. Everybody's here; make the announcement.”

“Anna, can we play football?” Jack asked, tugging on her hand.

“You got it, HJ,” she agreed, standing up.

Hotch watched as Anna roused up a group to play. “He smiled when JJ sat down in the seat Anna vacated. “She knows about the engagement.”

JJ's mouth hung open. “She knows everything!”

“I know. It's a little scary.” Hotch grabbed her left hand, rubbing her ring finger. “We really should make an announcement soon... after we tell the boys.”

“We should. I was enjoying the fact that we had this secret, just the two of us.”

Hotch leaned over and kissed her. “Me, too.”

Leaning against him, JJ watched as Morgan picked Henry up, carrying the football, and ran him across the yard. “That's some crazy news about Rossi and Prentiss, huh?”

“I can definitely say that I never expected that from Dave.” Hotch chuckled. “In fact, I was expecting it from you before I ever would have expected it from him. Emily, though, she'll be a good mom.”

“She will be. She's wanted this for a long time.” JJ was quieted for a few minutes before speaking again. “What are your thoughts about having more kids?”

“I can’t honestly say that I have thought about it,” Hotch replied, quietly. His anxiety refused to allow him to look her directly in the eye. “Jack was such a miracle baby that I never allowed myself to dream about any more.” He smiled at her as he said the next words, “That doesn't really answer your question.”

She grinned back at him, remembering their conversation on the plane so many years ago about why he chose the BAU. “No, it doesn't.”

Hotch grabbed her hand, turning it over to draw patterns on her palm. “If you're asking me if I want another baby, the answer is that I don't know. I think it would be amazing to have a little one that's part me and part you, but I don't need to have another one. If you're asking me if I don't want another baby, the answer is still, I don't know, but I would never be disappointed if we did have one.” He paused. “What about you?”

“I never thought that I would be a mother. Before Henry, I never saw kids in my life. Now, I can't imagine my life without him or without Jack. It's hard with two of them, though, and it would just be that much harder with another one.” JJ took a deep breath. “Of course, if we did have another one, I would absolutely love it to pieces, just like I do with Jack and Henry.”

“So, our stance is that we're not going to actively try for a baby, but we're not going to panic if it happens?” Hotch clarified.

JJ nodded. “Yes. And I think we should revisit this every six months, just to see if our stance has changed.”

Hotch kissed her palm. “Sounds like a plan.” He chuckled as Anna jumped on Morgan's back in an attempt to tackle him as Garcia protested they were supposed to be playing touch football. “So, about this wedding...”

“Do you remember Anna's plan at Olivia's wedding?”

“We get married in about a year from last June and she officiates?” Hotch asked.

JJ hummed. “That's the one. How does May sound? We can find a bed and breakfast that'll host the wedding and take the whole team, plus your brother and mother, unfortunately. Just a small ceremony, followed by a laid back party. I want my first dance.”

Hotch flushed at the thought of holding her close, delighting in the fact that she still caused such a reaction in his body. “Me, too.”

“Come on, fiance,” JJ urged, jumping up. She grabbed his hands to pull him from the seat. “Let's go make the engagement announcement. We'll keep the plans quiet until we figure them out.”

 

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“That smells delicious,” Hotch commented, walking into the kitchen where JJ was pulling the last batch of cookies from the oven. He snaked an arm around her waist, pulling JJ flush against him. Hotch laid his chin on her shoulder, rocking them both gently. “Do we really have to go to this thing?”

“After I made all these cookies?” JJ replied, smirking. “Damn straight, we do.”

Hotch wrapped his other arm around her, slipping his fingers under her shirt to stroke her abdomen. “Wouldn't you rather call Anna and see if she'll take the boys for the day? Then you and I could...” 

JJ blushed as Hotch whispered exactly what he intended to do to her if she would agree to forgo their plans. She turned in his arms, looping her arms around his neck. “Tell you what: why don't we save those plans for after the housewarming party and I'll get Anna to take the kids tonight and all day tomorrow?”

“Okay,” he agreed with a dramatic sigh. He placed a soft kiss on her lips. 

“You know, the new neighbors might be nice,” JJ told him, rubbing her body against his. “They might even have kids the boys' age and love hosting sleepovers.”

Hotch's eyes widened. “Maybe we should have made a pie!”

JJ's laughter rang throughout house, drawing the two boys into the kitchen. Henry bounced right to his parents. “Mama, is it time to go?”

“As soon as we pack up the cookies,” she promised. “Why don't you go and wash your hands and faces and grab your shoes?”

“So you can kiss some more?” Jack teased.

Hotch kissed her again. “Maybe.”

JJ turned and set about packing up the still warm cookies into a container. “Have you gotten any more out of Rossi about how he convinced the powers that be that he and Emily were going to be co-parents and nothing more, even though they're moving in together and could therefore remain on the team together?”

“Honey,” he shook his head, “I have no idea and I don't want to know. I have no idea how he managed to keep both of us on the team. Sometimes, as far as David Rossi goes, it's best not to know. So, no matter what bet you guys have going on this time, you're gonna have to leave me out of it.”

“Lame,” JJ muttered.

Hotch glared at her, but she simply returned his gaze, unaffected. “Have you heard anything about Anna's big move?”

JJ shook her head. “No. That girl is being so tight-lipped that I'm starting to think she actually is related to you. All I know is that, no matter how much Rossi begged, she insisted on moving out before the baby came. She says that the three of them need to bond as a family. Personally, I think she's hoping that, with having no one else to depend on, they'll admit their deep love for each other after the baby's born.”

“She just can't stop matchmaking,” Hotch sighed.

“We're ready to go!” Jack announced, bouncing back into the room with Henry right behind him.

JJ looked down at their feet. “Okay, guys, you can't wear sandals.”

Jack pouted. “Why not?”

“Why not?” Henry echoed.

“Because it's October. Go grab your tennis shoes,” JJ replied, patiently.

“Aw, Mom,” Jack grumbled, but ran to grab his shoes. Hotch decided the best course of action was to follow the boys to ensure that they put their tennis shoes on. After all, the faster they got to this housewarming for people they hadn't even seen, the faster they could get home. Maybe he could trick the boys into going to bed early tonight.

Jack put a hand on Hotch's arm, causing him to jump. “Dad, why do you have that weird smile?”

JJ breezed in carrying the container of cookies. “Because your dad's weird. Everyone ready to go?”

The boys jumped up and down. They were convinced that the new neighbors would have kids that they could play with. JJ ushered everyone out the door and across the street towards the old Crawley house. They were met, by no small surprise, by Rossi and Prentiss getting out of the car in front of the house.

“Dave, what are you doing here?” Hotch asked, instantly suspicious.

“He's dragging me out to some stupid party,” Prentiss whined, her hands on her protruding stomach. She sought JJ only. “I just want to be home, on the couch, in sweats.”

JJ nodded, sympathetically. “I remember those days.”

Rossi put his hand on Prentiss' back, guiding her towards the Crawley house. “Shall we go in?”

“Not until you tell us what's really going on?” Hotch demanded, standing still. JJ gave a quick nod, refusing to move from Hotch's side.

“It's not my story to tell,” Rossi replied, mysteriously. “Just trust me.”

Curiosity and annoyance fighting each other, Hotch finally agreed to follow Rossi and Prentiss into the backyard. Both he and JJ stopped dead when they entered the backyard. There, amongst the picnic tables decked out in ivory linens and colorful mums, sat Reid, Lauren, Garcia, Kevin, and, strangely, Morgan's mother and sisters. The boys ran immediately to Reid.

“What's going on?” Hotch turned his eyes to Prentiss and Rossi. Prentiss shrugged, as confused as Hotch, but Rossi avoided all eye contact.

“You made it!” Anna exclaimed, walking out of the house, dragging a grinning Morgan behind her. She hugged Rossi, Prentiss, Hotch, and JJ. “Welcome to our new home.”

JJ tilted her head. “You bought the house.”

Morgan kissed Anna's temple. “We did. Anna thought it be a great location for watching the boys and I have to say that once I saw the inside, I completely fell in love with it.”

“So, you're moving in together?” Hotch asked, bewildered. “What does your therapist think about that?”

“Well, I can't say that she's all that thrilled,” Anna laughed, “but once I held my ground, I think she was a bit proud. But, we're not the only ones moving in here.”

This was news to Rossi. “You're not?”

Anna shook her head, looking at Reid, who was telling the boys a story. “Turns out there's an apartment over the garage and Spencer's agreed to move in.”

“Somebody's feeling a little overprotective of her baby brother now that their relationship is back on track,” Morgan teased.

“Shut up.” Anna's cheeks burned bright as she smacked Morgan's stomach. She took a step back and garnered the attention of the rest of the people milling about. “We do have one other announcement to make.”

Morgan grabbed her hand again, squeezing it tight. “We didn't just bring you here to tell you about the house. We brought you here for a wedding; our wedding.”

Anna giggled. “We're getting married! Today!” 

“In jeans?” one of Morgan's sisters asked, appalled. She closed her mouth abruptly at the duel glares from Morgan and his mother.

Anna rolled her eyes when no one moved. “Don't everyone congratulate us at once.”

“Congratulations!” JJ said, finally, breaking the silence. She hugged Anna and Morgan before stepping back.

“I can't believe my chocolate thunder, the quintessential lifelong player, is getting married,” Garcia cried as she pulled Morgan into her arms. She stiffened, sending a glare towards Anna. “You're not pregnant, are you?”

Anna's eyes widened. “No! No-no. Maybe someday, but we're so not ready for that.”

Reid, Jack, and Henry hugged Anna. “I can't believe you kept this a secret from me.”

“You?” Rossi said, incredulously. He took Anna's face in his hands. “I can't believe you kept this a secret from your dad.”

“Please, Rossi,” Morgan moaned after receiving hugs and kisses from his mom and sisters. “It took me long enough to get her to agree to this. Do not freak her out.”

Rossi swiped at his eye. “Never. Never.”

Prentiss walked up and rubbed Rossi's back. “Well, as long as we're confessing things, Dave and I should tell you that-”

“You've been married for the last two months?” Anna interrupted, excitedly.

“No,” Prentiss sighed. “We have, however decided on names for the baby. And, no, Anna, no matter how much you begged, we're not finding out the sex before the baby's born.”

Rossi patted the top of Anna's head as she pouted. “We did, however, take your suggestions under advisement and we decided to go with them. So, if it's a boy, we're calling him 'Liam Prentiss Rossi' and if it's a girl, we're calling her 'Lia Prentiss Rossi'.”

Anna smiled, wistfully. “Thank you.” She shared a tender glance with JJ. “Anyone else have any secrets that they like to share before we do this?”

“Actually,” Kevin said, clearing his throat, “now would probably be a good time to come clean.”

“Kevin and I have been married for almost two years,” Garcia blurted out. She cringed at the dropped jaws. “We did it, on impulse, after... after Will's death.” She looked at Henry quickly, but saw that he was unaffected as he hung off of Hotch's leg. “But it didn't seem like the appropriate time to tell you and then, it seemed too late to tell you and I just-”

“Penelope!” Morgan said, sharply to cut off her lament. “Are you happy?” She nodded. “Then, we're all happy for you.”

Rossi clapped Kevin's shoulder. “I can't believe that you managed to keep this hidden after that Christmas party when we were pushing you to get engaged.”

Reid laughed. “Or the St Patrick's Day party where Morgan was practically begging Kevin to propose so that Garcia would stay out of everyone else's lives!”

“Technically, we didn't lie,” Garcia informed them. “We just answered in a way that would make it appear that we were not married.”

A coughing noise from the patio caused the party's attention to turn. An older gentleman with white hair and a gray suit stood there. He gave them a gentle smile. “Are you ready?”

Anna nodded before turning to Rossi. “I know it's traditionally that the father of the bride walk her down the aisle, but I was hoping that you would forgo that tradition to stand up with me instead.”

“I would be honored,” Rossi agreed.

“And I was hoping that you would stand up with me, baby girl,” Morgan told Garcia who squealed with delight.

Anna pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket. “Spencer, we were hoping that you would read at the beginning of the ceremony and at the end.”

Reid scanned the paper before handing it back to her. “You got it.”

“So, Hotch? Can I get you to walk me down the aisle?” Anna asked him. Her voice was strong, but Hotch able to detect a slight waver in it.

“It would be my honor,” he agreed, solemnly. Anna and Morgan hurried to the officiant to see to last minute arrangements while everyone else besides JJ and Hotch moved towards the house.

JJ chuckled as she realized that she was still holding the container of cookies. She placed them on the nearest chair. “This was definitely not how we thought we were spending the day, huh?”

Hotch shook his head, his eyes focused on Anna as she gave Morgan a kiss. “No, but it fits them somehow.”

“And that news about Penelope and Kevin? I can't believe they hid that from us!”

“That was definitely surprising.” He turned his attention fully to his fiance. “That just puts more pressure on us to have the BAU wedding.”

JJ shrugged. “Well, I guess it's a good thing that I heard from the Laurel Gardens this morning and we're confirmed for May. They had a cancellation.”

Hotch kissed her, passionately. “Let's wait to tell them until after we have most of the details done. I am not looking forward to 'Wedding Planner Garcia'.”

“Me either.” JJ shuddered. She took a look around the yard. Jack and Henry had moved on from Reid and were now standing with Rossi and Prentiss. Jack had his ear pressed against her stomach. “The boys are doing good, aren't they?”

“The boys are doing wonderful,” Hotch agreed, following her gaze. “Jack doesn't worry that you and Henry are going to leave anymore. He turns to you, and sometimes me, when things are bothering him instead of turning to Anna. Henry knows that he is loved and adored by us and Jack. I'd say things are just about as perfect as they can be.”

JJ toyed with her engagement ring. “Things are only going to get better.”

Hotch pulled her against him. “With you at my side, how can they not?”

“I better go gather the boys. It looks like things are about to start.” JJ reached up to kiss him one last time. “I think that after May, we should have that talk about babies again.”

“Everything okay?” Anna asked Hotch when he stared after JJ as she sashayed away.

Nodding, Hotch forced himself to look down at her. “Everything is amazing.”

Anna looped her arm in his, lining up to walk down the imaginary aisle. She squeezed his arm. “I don't think I ever really thanked you.”

“For what?”

“For saving me. I don't just mean all those years ago in the woods.” She bit her bottom lip. “Take a look around us. This is my family; my father, my brothers, my soon to be born sibling, my husband, and everyone else. You did this for me. I was alone in the world, but you, you brought me into your life and gave me everything. You saved me.”

Hotch ducked his head. “You saved me, too.”

Anna shook her head, but didn't refute him. “Well, big brother, are you ready for this?”

“I don't think I'll ever truly be ready to give you away. Luckily, it's just across the street.” They both laughed at that. They walked a few steps before Hotch stopped them. “Anna, what are you living for?”

“I'm just living, Hotch. From now on, I'm just living.”

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N2: Hopefully, I've given you enough of an ending to see where everyone's life will head. Until our next adventure...


End file.
